My Fake Fiance
by BlondeAlchemist
Summary: Lucy's life is perfect and she's ready to brag about it to all her friends until she finds out her man has been cheating on her. In a desperate moment to please her father, she lies and states she is already engaged... to Natsu, her childhood friend. But little does anyone know, they aren't engaged and they haven't spoken to one another in years. Nalu Fake Marriage AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! Sorry it's been so long, my computer died on me and I have no way of typing... well except when I go to my parent's house. I don't have any of my notes or chapters that I've previously written for My Rockin New Life so that wont be updated for a bit but here is a new story to make up for it! All the chapters are hand written so no way of not being able to access them. **

**I got bored the other night and found this movie, One Small Hitch, on prime and I loved it! So... naturally, I decided to write a fanfic about it with Natsu and Lucy! So let me know what you think! (I don't own the movie btw)**

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"Things are looking up, oh finally…" For the first time in Lucy's life, things were actually really great. She had a great job as an editor for a publishing firm in the city she always dreamed of living in, Crocus. Her apartment wasn't what she'd always imagined she'd live in but it was a lot better than some of the places around town. But, her proudest achievement, she was in a solid relationship!

So many guys had come along but none had made the cut. From wish washy to self absorbed to complete asshole, Lucy had pretty much dated them all and had sworn off men… until she met him. They met through a friend and seemed to click immediately.

He was kind and sweet, considerate and doted on her every minute they were together… which most times wasn't long because of his job, according to him. He claimed he was some manager of the stars or at least of some important people.

They had been dating now for nearly eight months and Lucy deemed it time for the next step… meeting the parents. Or at least parent. Her mother had died a long time ago in a car accident when she young but her father, Jude, was still around. The small town she grew up in, Magnolia, was having their annual town festival and with many of Lucy's childhood friends coming home, it was the perfect time to introduce him. Her prince charming… Dan Straight.

She switched between humming and singing along to the Paramore song as she packed her bags for the week long trip. She hadn't been home in quite some time but she felt ready, well, namely all the expected check marks were checked off the list and no one could berate her anymore!

The sound of chimes tore her attention away from her suitcase momentarily. The familiar tone coming from her phone sitting on the dresser behind her alerted her who was calling. Ecstatic, Lucy picked up the phone, "Levy-chan!"

"Lu-chan! It's so good to hear from you! We haven't talked in a few weeks!" Lucy chuckled at her best friend. If you bottled pure joy into a bottle and mixed in some sunshine, that was Levy to a T. "Are you excited about the festival?"

Lucy held the phone between her cheek and her shoulder so she could continue packing. "Yes I am! I mean I am finally bringing a man along with me so everyone can stop asking me when I am going to find someone."

"Oh I know, I'm bringing Gajeel with me so he can join in the amazing pastimes of our quaint little town."

"You mean sitting around drinking alcohol and talking about one another?"

Levy paused before responding, " Umm… yeah pretty much." Lucy giggled in response. "so who is this mystery man you're bringing home?"

"I'm not telling…" Lucy replied coyly.

"Whaaaaa… not fair. I told you who I was bringing."

"You and Gajeel have been dating for months know that's no surprise."

"True, True. Hey! You excited for a good ol' Fairy Tail reunion?!"

Fairy Tail High… the place where teens of Magnolia discovered who they were and where that would lead them in life. Mostly for Lucy it was a time to break away from the dramatic life she lived. Her dad was constantly working and became a bit of a hermit after her mother died. What made it worse were the murmurs around town about her and her family, her only solace was her friends at school. But unfortunately they all went their separate ways after they graduated. This trip would be the first time in 5 years they would all be together!

Her feet mindlessly moved her away from the suitcase and towards the bookshelf in the other room. She pulled the familiar yearbook from its place on the shelf and sat down onto the nearest chair.

"Did you hear that Erza and Jellal confirmed?" Levy stated.

"Really? I thought they couldn't with their kids?"

"Erza's mom was able to babysit for them so they are coming out!" Lucy flipped through her senior year book, her eyes falling on a picture of Jellal and Erza. They always were the power couple. Her eyes landed on a picture of Juvia laughing right after she slammed a whip cream pie into Gray's face. "And Juiva and Gray are coming… has he asked her out yet?"

"I think their relationship is a mutual pining." Levy explained. "I heard Natsu confirmed."

Lucy's heart stopped… Natsu, her best friend growing up. The two of them were inseparable since they first met at the age of 5. They used to live right next door to one another, that is until her father's business went belly up and they had to move. Well, that and her father's health hasn't been the best lately so he moved into a two-bedroom house with their caretaker Mrs. Spetzo.

He defended her against the vicious bullies in the second grade, he taught her how to ride a bike when she was 7, he helped her make her volcano for her science project in the 5th grade, he stole her first kiss when she was 13, he had helped her through her mother's passing when she was 16… they vowed to stay in contact with one another after graduation… but what happened?

"Oh…" was all her mouth could seem to udder. She turned the page to see a picture of the two of them flexing their arms at the Field Day event.

A honk from outside drew her attention away from the book. Lucy stood up in such a hurry, she didn't notice the book fall to the floor. Lucy peered out the front window to see Dan sitting in his brand new convertible. She waved and signaled she'd be down in a second but Dan just waved her off.

"I gotta go, Levy-chan, my ride is here."

"Ooooh, enjoy, I will see you soon!" Lucy hung up, quickly grabbed her jacket and purse and took off out the door. Lucy practically skipped all the way to the car, a huge grin adorning her face.

"Hey babe!" she yelled as she opened the door and took a seat on the passenger side. Dan didn't seem to react to her presence at all so she decided to take her frustration out on the door. "Watch it!" Dan yelled. Lucy stared at him in shock. "Be gentle with her, she's new," Dan cooed as he leaned over her lap to pet the car door.

Lucy, obviously annoyed, said, "So where are we going tonight?" an straightened back up and began to drive away, "The fanciest restaurant in town."

"That sounds romantic!"

The ride to the restaurant was mostly silence mixed in with a splash of awkward conversation, mostly about Dan's new car. Lucy was happy to step foot out of it, hoping without the car Dan would actually take the time and talk to her.

"How many sir?" the hostess asked.

Dan wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist as he spoke, "Two and I believe I have a reservation under Straight." Lucy (pretended) not to notice his wink after talking to her and the blush of the hostess. As the two waited to be sat, Lucy took the time to look around the restaurant. The décor was beautiful and serene, an excellent place to go on a date.

"Dan?! Is that you?" The blonde turned to see an unknown man and woman walking up to Dan. "W-what are you guys doing here?"

"We are celebrating our anniversary tonight. Oh are you here with Angel?"

"Uhh…"

Lucy stepped forward and peered around Dan's shoulder. "Hello, I'm Lucy." The couple seemed very surprised to see her but was even more surprised when the male began to reach out to take her extended hand but the woman swatted it away. "Who are you?" she questioned.

"Lu…cy, I'm Dan's girlfriend."

The woman froze before slowly growing angry, "Interesting, considering Dan is married."

It didn't take two seconds before Lucy stormed out of the restaurant and began walking down the street back to her apartment. "Lucy! Lucy wait!" she heard in the distance. Lucy wrapped her jacket around her tighter and began walking faster. "Lucy, stop!"

"Why?!" she yelled as she whipped around to face the man she thought was 'the one.'

"We need to talk about this."

"About what?! How you deceived me for 8 months. Ugh, and to think I wanted to marry you!"

"Well, if I told you I was married, you never would have slept with me!" She snapped… Lucy balled up her fist as tight as she could, until her knuckles turned white, and she swung as hard as she could towards his stupid, cheating face. The impact sent Dan flying back onto the ground and left him knocked out cold.

…

Lucy threw open her apartment door, ran to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed. She couldn't hold it in any longer as the tears flowed from her eyes. It looks like her track record for men still held true; well, now she could add cheater to the list. Why was her dating life so bad?! Was she doomed to be single the rest of her life?!

Her phone next to her began to chime. She glanced up long enough to see it was her father calling. Lucy reached up, grabbed the phone from the nightstand and declined the call. She let her face fall back into the pillow, not caring of the mascara that was definitely running down her cheeks and onto the pillow.

Within a few seconds, her phone sounded again. Lucy looked at the phone and saw her father's image on the screen. With a loud groan and as much enthusiasm as she could muster, she accepted the call. "Hey, Dad." She loved her dad, really, just sometimes he was a bit pushy with his expectations of her. Also… now really wasn't the time.

"Hi, honey, all packed for the trip?"

Lucy looked down at her thrown together suitcase, "Almost."

"I'm so glad you are coming home. It feels like it's been forever since you've been here."

"Yeah it's been some time…" Lucy said throwing a sigh in there.

"You know… I've been thinking…" Ugh! Not this again, she thought as she sat up.

When her dad though it was usually about her future, specifically with relationships. "You're almost 27 now and you're getting to that point where you've reached your peak physical attraction level…"

"Oh my Mavis, Dad!"

"What?! I just want my daughter to not be single for the rest of her life." Lucy face palmed, great way to bring this up.

"Why are you so invested in my dating life anyway?!" she yelled back. This was the last straw; she was tired of all the pressure to get married. When she was younger, it was about arranged marriages to better the company but since it went under its been about letting her pick who she married but it had to be sooner rather than later.

She had had enough of the constant nagging, I was time to take a stand.

"Because I would like to at least meet my future son-in-law before I die!" Lucy paused.

"What do you mean?"

Her father's sigh was audible on her end of the phone. "I met with the specialist today… He said it's the Big C and terminal."

"B-but you were doing great last week…" Lucy almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. She reverted to what she knew… logic.

"I have good days and bad days, but they seem to be few and far between nowadays." Lucy couldn't do much but stare down at the ground. Her mind was blank, her chest tight, and she couldn't seem to breathe.

"All I want, as a man in my last few days, is to meet the man you are going to spend the rest of your life with… to make sure you're taken care of after I'm gone."

"Dad…"

"But at least there's hope, right? This man you're bringing to the festival…" Crap! She forgot about that for a second. What was she gonna tell him?! "Dad… about that…" I was dating a married man so at least he would know the tips and tricks to a great marriage, right?! Ugh…

She took a deep breath to respond to her father, hopefully the truth wouldn't break his heart. As she breathed in, her foot hit something hard. Confused, Lucy looked down to see her yearbook she was looking at earlier face down on the ground. With a sigh, she bent down to pick it up.

"This 'mystery man…' Is he the one for you?" he asked. Lucy grabbed the book and stood up to place it back on the shelf, which only released some loose papers inside of it. Lucy sighed even harder before stooping down to pick them up.

Lucy turned over the first picture to see it was a collage of pictures of herself and Natsu throughout their lives. Her father continued going on about something in her hear but she was captivated by the images in front of her. She glanced over a photo of the two of them in a kiddie pool when they were younger, of Natsu in his football uniform and her in her cheerleader uniform… Her eyes lanced over all the photos until she flipped the paper over. The backside was covered with a handwritten letter from Natsu, his 'goodbye' letter which is customarily written in the yearbooks themselves.

Her eyes looked at every word before the signature on the bottom… the name she knew all too well. Beside the signature was a selfie he had taken of the two of the their senior year. Her head was slightly down and she was laughing because Natsu was kissing her temple. She smiled at the memory… she was so happy around him.

Her eyes began to widen, and her head turned and raised. Before she could think about what she was doing, she spoke, "Dad… what if I told you, you've already met him?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Chapter 2 is up and ready to go! I'm trying to get as much done as I possibly can while I have a computer at my disposal. **

**So please enjoy! Thanks for the three people who reviewed the first chapter Ushindeshi, Maddog-booknerd, and NaluGrey. I love reading all the reactions from you guys and as always please leave a comment, I try to reply to them all. **

**Enjoy!**

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She sat in the darkness of her room, her phone still in her hand but hanging down to her side. She was alone… left to consult with her own thoughts and actions. What had she done?! The conversation with her father was a blur almost like a dream but she knew it was real. This weekend was going to suck…

Lucy lifted the phone into her view and her fingers maneuvered the keys until she hovered over Natsu's name. She breathed in a quick huff of air and began typing : 'Hey, Natsu, it's Lucy.' She paused… _what to say?_

With no words coming to mind, she hit send. _Great, now it's out in the universe now_. Panicked and fearing the worst, Lucy walked into her kitchen and found a bottle of wine. She had just gotten done pouring herself a glass when her phone sounded. Lucy glanced at the screen to see Natsu had replied. A tap on the screen once more unlocked the phone to show the message: 'I know who it is, weirdo. :P'

Lucy was able to release that breath she had been holding in for what felt like forever. _At least he still has a sense of humor…_ _for now_. 'How have you been? Are you excited for the festival this weekend?' he asked. _Well, down the rabbit's hole we go,_ Lucy thought as she took a long swig of the alcohol. 'I'm excited as I can be.'

'That bad, huh?'

'Oh, you don't even know the half of it.' She replied. _Yet_.

' We can catch up at the airport.' The airport? 'I'm assuming you make a connection in Clover Town too right?' Lucy raced to her room where her itinerary was lying on her desk. She grasped for the ticket and saw she in fact did connect through Clover Town. _Duh!_ Lucy thought, _he's only one town over from me_.

'Yep! I will meet you by the gate.'

'Sounds good! Can't wait to see you; it's been too long.' 2 years too long… how on earth would she make this work?!

…

Natsu smiled as he returned the phone to its charging cable. He used to spend every day with Lucy up until High School. They were as close as two people could be without dating that is. They were the best of friends… but drifted after high school.

He sighed in frustration, maybe this week would turn out ok if all his friends were there. Going back home without the job, the house, the girl… was completely embarrassing, especially when he had everything in high school.

Natsu was the captain of the football team, had the coolest car, had a great job, had good grades and was dating the most beautiful girl in school, Lisanna Straus. Well, when graduation came that all seemed to dissolve rather quickly. His car died and with his crappy temp job, all he could afford was an old junker. Lisanna didn't want to do the 'long distance' thing so they broke up and Natsu's life now seemed far from awesome. And to make matters worse, he had to return home to his very successful family and deal with the shame of not living up to the legacy.

He decided to not worry about it further and try to get a few hours of sleep before his fears became his reality.

…

Her knee bounced wildly as she sat in her seat, sandwiched between two strangers (who were very uncomfortable with Lucy's actions). Not only was she fidgeting in her seat, but between her chewing her nails, she kept sipping on the tiny bottles of alcohol she purchased from the stewardess. She would need a lot of liquid courage for what lied before her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are beginning to start our descent into Clover Town. Please put your tray tables up and bring your seat to the forward position. Welcome to Clover town!" All Lucy wanted to do was punch the announcer; the pure joy in her voice just stirred that anger and frustration Lucy was brewing within her.

Turns out Lucy's flight got in early and instead of freaking out the entire time at the gate waiting for Natsu, she decided to burn off some steam at the bar. The stewardesses had cut her off so she simply picked up where she left off.

…

Natsu walked off the plane and strode over to the board to find which gate his next flight would be taking off from. His eyes glanced over all the locations until he found it. Okay, Gate C6. Natsu shifted the backpack he wore and began walking in that direction. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and began typing a message to Lucy when he was caught off guard by an obnoxious laugh.

His eyes went wide and he stopped dead in his tracks, much to the disappointment of those behind him. He glanced over to his left, towards where the laugh was coming from and saw the sign on the store… a lounge with a bar. He breathed an uneasy sigh and strode into the lounge.

His eyes scanned the restaurant until he saw her. She was obviously drunk and was laughing and hanging on some stranger at the bar top (who was not enthused). His mind flashed back to the only other time he had seen Lucy this drunk… it was the night she found out her mom died. Something was obviously wrong.

Natsu carefully walked towards Lucy as the prey would walking past its sleeping enemy. As if he made one wrong move, Lucy whipped her head around to see Natsu standing there. Her eyes immediately went wide and the biggest smile grew on her face. Oh no, was the only thought Natsu could get out before Lucy ran full force at Natsu and jumped into his arms. He had just enough time to brace himself before the impact and he was barely able to keep them both on their feet.

"Natsuuuuu~ I'm so happy to see you!" she cooed as she rubbed her head in the crook of his neck.

"Y-yeah… you too, Luce."

A bartender from behind the bar approached the two, "Does this one belong to you?"

Natsu looked down at the blonde who was so very out of it. "Ummm… well, I guess so?"

"She's drunk. She needs to leave the restaurant immediately." Natsu nodded, collected their things and supported Lucy as they hobbled to the diner inside the airport. He dropped Lucy into her chair before he walked around the other side of the table to his. He hadn't even sat down before Lucy slipped out of her seat and onto the floor.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked as he rushed over to her. Lucy tried to speak but all she could do was laugh. He sat her back up and made sure she was stable before he returned to his chair.

Lucy leaned forward on the table and rested her chin in her hand, "It is so good to see you, Natsu." With her other hand she reached out and touched his arm, notifying her he was really here. "Are you really that worried about going home that you got drunk? It can't be that bad…"

Lucy shook her head but had to quickly stop so she didn't get sick, "Natsu…"

"I mean you seem like you're doing well; you've got the job you've been wanting for a while and Levy tells me you have been dating a great guy for a while." Confusion grew on his face, "Which reminds me, here is he?" Lucy slammed her head down on the table and buried her face is her hair and arms.

"Lucy?" Lucy began mumbling something unintelligible but was muffled by her arms. "What?" Natsu moved his chair so he was sitting beside her and leaned in to hear her. His eyes went wide and he leaned away from her, "He was married?!"

Lucy sat up to speak to Natsu, "How could I be so stupid?! I'm such a loser." Lucy hid her face in her hands. Natsu rubbed her back in an effort to soothe her, "No, Luce, you're not the loser, he is. What kind of scum dates someone else behind their spouse's back?! At least you didn't bring him home."

Lucy's face began to contort into tears once more and she buried her face in Natsu's shoulder. "That's not all…" she whined. Natsu wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. "What else is wrong, Luce?"

"It's my dad… he's dying." Natsu's eyes went wide. Dying?! He knew Jude had grown weak in his elder years but that's a normal part of aging right?! He also knew Jude put his health by the wayside after Layla passed away. No wonder Lucy had been drinking… she found out her dad was dying the same time she discovered her boyfriend was cheating on her with his wife?! Scratch his pity party, Lucy got hit with the unfortunate stick and hard.

"My dad said all he wanted was to meet my future husband before he passed," she cried. Natsu sighed, he remembered how important marriage was to Jude… well to both their families actually. "Well, at least you won't be alone in the Disappointing Your Parents club, I'm right there with you."

Natsu noticed Lucy slowly calmed down, only because she seemed to be falling asleep. He was always amazed at how fast she crashed after she had been drinking. "Not quite…" she yawned.

Lucy snuggled herself further into Natsu's chest as she slowly drifted off to sleep, "I didn't want to disappoint him so I told him we were engaged."

"YOU WHAT?!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hell all! Here is the next installment of My Fake Fiance. I hope you all are enjoying it! Thank you so much to all those of you who have reviewed, favorited and followed not only this story but me. I honestly never imagined writing a second story. I saw myself as a one hit wonder author haha.**

**Please review, I try to answer all the messages I receive. I dont own these characters but I love them so! On with the Nalu!**

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WHAT?! His eyes were wide and dry from the lack of blinking. He had been deeply staring at the seat in front of him with a stabbing glare. His arms were kept tight across the front of his chair, too stiff to move due to the anger welling within him… also the girl who lay unconscious in a deep sleep on his shoulder.

How could she just drop this bomb on him and then pass out! Now he knew why Lucy had been drinking so much and honestly, a drink didn't seem too bad right about now.

As if his life wasn't bad enough right now… he hated his job as a temp. He jumped from office to office, never having a place to grow some roots and become invested in; no one to see potential in him and offer to keep him on their staff. Every company he was hire to aid did so because they had a project to finish or a space to fill for the time being and every time he worked his ass off to prove he would be a valuable asset there. He hoped and prayed he would find someone who would be so impressed with his work they would keep him… but each time he was met with 'Thank you for all your hard work. We could not have done this without you; we will send your check to your temp agency.'

All his temporary jobs made him just enough to rent a rundown, small apartment in the middle of the city. He bought some second hand car that regularly broke down just so he could get to all those crappy jobs. And not to mention all the women who came and gone quickly because they wanted someone successful or stable or whatever it was that he wasn't.

His life sucked and he knew it, there was no sugar coating it. So here he was, coming back home to deal with the embarrassment and shame that would befall him having to tell his family about his sorry excuse of a life. His father, the mayor, his mother, a world class surgeon, his sister, following in the footsteps of their mother… then there was him, the black sheep.

Not only did Natsu have to deal with his own family, but now he had to contend with Lucy's?! And what was up with that?! The two hadn't spoken in years and now with a chance to catch up, she goes and tells him her family thinks they are engaged?!

Natsu glanced down at the sleeping blonde leaning on his shoulder. She never was a peaceful sleeper after she had drank. Her blonde hair was a mess, drool dripped from her open, snoring mouth and her mascara was slightly smeared from her earlier tears; this girl was a mess.

He had always admired Lucy for her strength. She was always so positive and encouraging to everyone she met; her smile could light up a room. That's what drew him to her in the first place. Her strength… her warmth… he didn't understand where it came from but he was curious to know.

It wasn't until Lucy's mother died that he truly discovered how strong she was. He saw the crack in her armor, he watched as her world fell apart but even when everything around her crumbled, she still stood tall. Like a falling star, she lit up the night sky and all those around her couldn't help but stop in wonder of her.

That was the only time he had ever seen Lucy waver… well, until today. Her world was crumbling again and here he was in the middle of it all. Despite their estrangement, she still turned to him for comfort and help. Lucy had never been one to ask for help or admit she needed it… but she came to him every time. _I guess we weren't as distant after all…_

Natsu jumped as the blonde shifted and choked on her own saliva a bit. Lucy licked her lips before closing her mouth to continue sleeping. This… this weirdo was supposed to be his fake fiancée for the next week?!

He reached over with his free hand and plugged her nose between his fingers. After a few moments, Lucy's eyes shot open and she sat erect in her seat. Natsu tucked his hand under his arm crossed in front of his chest. Gasping for air, Lucy glanced around at the scene around her. _A plane?_ She didn't remember getting on a plane. _What?! HOW?!_

She looked to her right and saw a very grumpy Natsu sitting in the seat beside her. "Where am I?" she asked excitedly.

"The plane to Magnolia," he deadpanned, _someone isn't in a good mood._

"How did I get here?"

"I put you here." His eyes drilled right through her; they never looked away or blinked. Lucy leaned back in her chair and relaxed into it. She sighed before mumbling, "But I wanted a window seat…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Natsu yelled but was quickly shushed by those around him.

"What?" Lucy asked, still in a bit of a daze from the alcohol and long nap.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he whisper-yelled back at her.

Offended, she turned to face him to hash it out," Excuse me?!"

"Why did you tell your father we were engaged?!" Her eyes went wide, _crap! She really did say that, it wasn't a dream._ "Natsu… you wouldn't understand…"

"Wouldn't understand?! I understand it completely!"

"Oh yeah, then why did I say it?"

"You didn't want to disappoint poor daddy because your life took a turn for the worst." _So he did understand… somewhat. "_That's where you're wrong, Natsu. You think you know it all but you don't!" Natsu finally turned towards her to engage in verbal ju jitsu with her. "Enlighten me," his glare piercing harder and harder into her, challenging her.

"My life didn't take a turn for the worst… his did. I don't know if you caught it before but my father is dying." Lucy placed emphasis on each individual word of her last sentence. He wanted him to feel like an asshole if that's how he was going to treat her. Lucy saw Natsu's gaze soften and his shoulders relax a bit. "Why me?" he asked.

Lucy paused a moment," Well, Jellal is married to Erza, no one would believe Gajeel and I are in a relationship and Juvia would kill me if I asked Gray."

"So I was the last option…"

Lucy reached out and placed her hand on Natsu's shoulder, "No! You were the first one I thought of but I wasn't sure if you would do it because we haven't talked in so long so I decided to consider other options but none seemed plausible or realistic to me so I thought about you again and how you were the only person I trusted to pull this off…" Lucy continued rambling on about her excuse or other about why she drug him into this mess. He watched as she picked at her fingers when she spoke, her eyes dart around as if trying to connect the dots of her words, her knee bounced up and down furiously…

"Luce…" he began but she was too busy going on her tangent to hear him. "Luce," he tried speaking up but she still didn't pay attention. "Lucy!" he yelled just as the cabin alarm dinged notifying the passengers they had arrived at their destination and could now stand to retrieve their items. Her eyes were wide, searching for hope within his and pleading for help… just as they had the night she showed up at his house when her mother died.

"Luce, if you wanted me to help you, all you had to do was ask." Natsu escaped the row of seats and opened the overhead bin to retrieve his bag as well as Lucy's. Amazed and almost awestruck, she clarified, "So that means you're in?"

Natsu grabbed her bag and brought it down to hand it to her. Just as she reached out and grabbed her bag, he pulled her closer to him so their faces were a few inches away. "What part of 'all you had to do was ask' didn't you get?" She was quiet for a moment… he was serious. "Natsu…" she began.

"Yes?" he inquired sarcastically.

"Will you pretend to be my fiancé for the week to appease my dying father?"

Natsu's face dropped a bit, "You didn't need to add that last bit of a guilt trip but yes, I will pretend to be your fiancé for the week." Natsu stood back up to take his place in line amongst the other passengers to exit the plane.

"Really?!" Lucy beamed as she leaned forward again towards him.

Natsu sighed in annoyance before stating, "Lucy, will you just get in line, please?!"

As the two exited the plane, the two clarified the plan for the weekend. "So all I need to do is play doting fiancé for the week?"

"Only in front of my dad," Lucy added. "I told him he needed to keep it quiet for now so we should be okay in front of anyone else."

"So are we staying with him then?" Natsu asked as the two exited the plane and began walking towards the baggage terminal. Lucy shook her head, "No, he lives in a two bedroom house with his caretaker so there won't be room for us." Lucy caught Natsu's sigh of relief but honestly, she didn't blame him. "Does that mean we will stay with your family?" Lucy inquired but Natsu seemed to have a worse response to that.

"I hope not… we will figure something out when the time comes."

Right before the two rounded the corner into the ground floor lobby, Natsu stopped and turned to face the blonde. Lucy stopped abruptly so she didn't run into him and looked at him questioningly. "So what's in it for me?" he asked with a big, malicious grin on his face.

"Making the last few moments of a dying man happy?" she guessed but Natsu gave a disapproving look. She reached in her back pocket and pulled out the folded bills she had kept away. She glanced over all the bills in her hand before replying, "… and $50 jewels?" Natsu dropped his head and sighed; he reached out and pushed the hand full of money back towards her. "Luce, I don't want your money," as he raised his head, the smile returned, "Let's just say you owe me one."

Natsu turned and started to walk away but Lucy yelled back, "What does that mean?" Natsu pivoted and walked right up to her once more, "It means at any time or place you have to do what I say."

"What?!" Lucy angrily blushed.

"You want me to help you, right?!" Natsu coyly spoke.

"Yeah," Lucy responded through puffed cheeks.

"Then it's a deal!" The two turned and began walking once more. "It's just a few days, I mean how bad can it be?" Natsu stated just as they rounded the corner.

"SURPRISE!" Natsu and Lucy's heads whipped around at the same moment to see both of their families as well as some other people they recognized from the town standing in the waiting area. The worst part was they were all holding a giant 'Congratulations' sign. _Oh no_, they thought simultaneously.

Before either one of them could respond, they were engulfed in tight hugs from their families. Natsu and Lucy were bombarded by his mother, Grandine, father, Igneel, and younger sister, Wendy." We are so happy for the both of you!" Grandine cheered. Natsu and Lucy stood stiff as boards as they had the lives squeezed out of them.

Lucy's father, Jude, was wheeled over to her by Mrs. Spetzo. Upon his approach, the three cleared and allowed Jude to be wheeled up directly in front of them. When the chair stopped, Lucy looked down at her father with a worried hurt in her eyes but her gaze was met with the opposite. Jude shakily stood, with the help of Mrs. Spetzo, and locked the two together in an embrace, one with each arm. "I am the happiest man on earth." He spoke as he tried to hold back the tears.

Over Jude's shoulders, Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances… this weekend was going to be more difficult than they thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello all! Here is the newest installment of My Fake Fiancee! Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews. I'm glad so many of you like this story; I even got my first reblog on Tumblr (thanks piglets14)! **

**I hope you enjoy this (it's longer than the other chapters) and even better news... I ordered a new laptop and it will be in on Friday! So next month prepare for new MFF chapters as well as My Rockin New Life! Don't worry thats not over! **

**Anyways, enjoy and as always please review, I reply to them all. Thank!s!**

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_So much for quiet_, Natsu and Lucy thought simultaneously. Natsu couldn't help but let out an angry grunt as his mother squeezed him tighter. Natsu looked passed his mother and father, who were still engulfing him in a hug, to stare at his so-called fiancée. He gave her a look and she looked back with the same thought… _oh Mavis._

"Hey, dad…" Jude released a hold of his daughter to look at her. "What happened to keep it quiet?" she asked her father.

Jude sighed, "I'm sorry I went against your wishes, Lucy. It's just that… these last few years have been so difficult that getting any kind of good news was worth celebrating." Lucy's shoulders couldn't help but slump a bit. She knows it's been tough for both of them; once her mother died, things kinda fell apart.

Her father poured himself into work, which drained his physical energy and almost completely zapped his mental energy. He would be absent on various business trips to keep the thoughts of sadness out of his mind and to distract him of the reality he would return to a broken home. Lucy couldn't handle the fact she 'lost' both her parents at once, so she decided to leave Magnolia.

Lucy went abroad for college and decided to remain in the city afterwards. She had established some kind of life there all the while her father was slowly losing his back in Magnolia. She returned suddenly one night when Mrs. Spetzo had found him collapsed in his office. Panicked, they rushed him to the hospital only to find out he was simply overworked. Jude claimed the doctor made a bigger deal of it all than necessary but Lucy didn't buy it. She could see he had lost some muscle mass, he had difficulty moving around, he was starting to forget things and he always appeared tired.

Part of her regretted being away for so long and for lying to him but… the way he looked at her now, she finally saw a happy smile.

"It's also partially my fault dear," Mrs. Spetzo commented. "You're father told me and we were both so excited for you and Natsu so we called Grandine and shared the news."

"We couldn't be happier for the two of you!" Grandine replied as she took both Natsu and Lucy into her arms for a group hug. Jude, Wendy, Igneel and Mrs. Spetzo took the opportunity to join in on the group hug; after all, they would all be family soon right? Natsu couldn't help but roll his eyes, sometimes he couldn't handle his mother's over emotional actions. "Okay, but you kept it in the family, right?" he asked.

There was a big pause before the group slowly released their hold on the couple. "Well…" Igneel began.

"Well what?" Lucy softly asked, dreading the answer to follow.

"Well… as you know we host the annual festival barbecue at our house tomorrow night to kick the celebration off…" Igneel began.

"Yeah… and?" Natsu asked inquisitively.

"And we told the town we had some exciting news to share!" Grandine finished.

"Mom!" Natsu yelled and Lucy hid her face.

"What?! Like Jude said, we have cause to celebrate!" Grandine said as she walked away from the group towards the exit. "Besides, I've told a few people myself!" Grandine added right before she left the room. Igneel patted his son on the shoulder and chuckled before following behind his wife with Jude and Mrs. Sptezo close behind. As the adults walked around the corner, Natsu and Lucy let their shoulders fall forward and they outwardly sighed. Worried, Lucy looked over to Natsu but was surprised to see a simple grin on his face as he looked back at her with soft eyes.

Natsu opened his mouth to speak but before he could, his younger sister, Wendy, ran up to him and encircled him in a hug. "I missed you!"

Natsu chuckled and returned the hug, "I missed you too, Wendy." Wendy released her brother and turned to hug Lucy, who was equally shocked and pleased. "It's good to see you, Wendy."

"Kids, let's go!" Grandine called from afar.

"Coming!" Wendy shouted as she skipped off. "Well…" Lucy looked up at Natsu who was fully smiling now. "Shall we?" he asked as he held out his hand to her. Expressionless, she reached out and took a hold of his hand. As they walked off, Lucy wasn't sure whether to feel nervous for what this week held or secure knowing Natsu was here with her.

…

The car ride was relatively short but extremely awkward. Lucy mostly remained quiet in the back seat with Natsu as they rode in the car to the Dragneel house. She just watched as her dad happily told her of how he had been bragging to his poker buddies about how his daughter was getting married and to the mayor's son. She was so amazed at how overflowing with pride he was of her; she had never seen him like that before… well except when her brother got married but she was never really sure if he was ever proud of her. The joy of the moment faded when she thought about how all this was based on a lie… there goes the pride.

As they began driving through town, Lucy looked out the window to see how her little hometown had changed since she had been gone. Magnolia still had the small town vibe, which she always loved. Most of the buildings were the same with name changes or a different shade of paint. She watched as the store fronts passed them by and people walked down the street; when they saw the car and recognized them, they waved enthusiastically. Just how many people in this town heard about her and Natsu?

She took comfort in seeing the Dragneel house hadn't changed from her childhood. The beautiful two-story Victorian house stood out among the green trees surrounding it. The car turned onto the long, gravel driveway that wound back behind the residence to the garage. Lucy caught a glimpse of the full 20 acre property right before they parked the car in the garage.

Natsu and Lucy got out of the car along with the rest of their families. "Are we staying here?" Lucy asked Natsu in a whispered tone.

He shrugged, "I was planning on it but seeing as how things changed…" He rubbed the back of his head. "My dad doesn't have room at his new place." Lucy added.

"Well, where were you gonna stay?"

"I was thinking of staying with my brother."

Igneel couldn't help but overhear the couple's discussion and asked, "What's up, Natsu?" Wide eyed, Natsu looked at his mother and father.

"Well, I was planning on staying in my old room but we understand if you don't want Lucy and I to stay together in the same room." Lucy smiled in agreement, _good thinking, Natsu!_ Grandine and Igneel chuckled, catching Natsu and Lucy off guard. The two looked at each other just to make sure they weren't crazy in what they said.

"Don't be silly, Natsu, you both are adults so we don't expect you to stay in different rooms." Natsu and Lucy gulped. "Well… surely Jude would prefer it if we stayed in separate rooms," Natsu almost pleaded.

"It's fine, Natsu. I trust you with my daughter." Great… there goes that.

"You both can stay in Natsu's old room." Grandine smiled.

"Mom…" Natsu groaned as he gave her a look.

"What? It's not like she has never seen it."

Natsu walked over to his mom to speak to her in a hushed tone, "I can't stay in my childhood bedroom with Lucy… that's weird. What about the guest room?"

Igneel leaned forward to interject, "Your cousin is staying there with his girlfriend." Natsu sighed in annoyance, there had to be some solution?! Igneel smirked at his son; he placed his arm around his son's shoulder's and drew him in close, "I get it." Natsu looked at him confused. "You just want to have your privacy." Igneel followed the statement with a wink.

Natsu immediately blushed, "DAD!"

"Well if it's privacy you seek, the two of you can stay at the office." Jude offered.

"Office?" Natsu asked. Lucy placed her hand on Natsu's arms as a way to take control of the situation. "That would be lovely, Daddy. Thank you." Jude handed Lucy the spare key happily. Lucy began nudging Natsu to get him to grab their luggage. "Well, Natsu and I are going to go to the office and unpack."

"Just make sure you're back by 6! We have dinner planned!" Grandine called to them as Natsu and Lucy began walking away.

…

"So why are we staying in an office?" Natsu asked as the two were walking through town.

"When my dad started to get sick, he couldn't spend as much time working so the business ended up going belly up. He sold the house and got a small two bedroom house just big enough for him and his caretaker. He needed a place to store everything and somewhere to try to work so he got the office." Natsu gave her a look like 'you never answered my question.' "It's not an office space, it's a studio apartment he got for cheap. It's got a kitchenette, a bathroom and enough space for a bed." Lucy finished just as they walked up to the entrance. "Plus, it's private and not far from your parents' house."

The keys jingled as Lucy slid them into the lock and turned the mechanism. With a small pop, the door opened and the two went inside. It was pretty much how Lucy described except most of the apartment was filled with boxes. Luckily for them, Mrs. Spetzo took a regular effort to clean and organize the space.

Natsu set their bags down near the table set up in the kitchen area of the room while Lucy walked over and threw herself down onto the futon that acted as a couch. "I'm sorry about all this," Lucy apologized.

"For what?"

Lucy sighed and sat up, "This. My dad, your family, the over excitement of our engagement, having to deal with the whole town…"

"I don't thing their reaction is all that overdone."

Lucy glared at Natsu, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying I think this behavior would be normal when hearing your child is engaged."

"But it's not real?!" Lucy threw her hands out in frustration. Natsu strode over to Lucy, "I know but they think it is so right now, that's our new normal, well… for this week anyway." He sat down beside her and watched as she furiously gripped her hair in her fists.

"Luce," he stated as he gently undid her tight grip on her head, "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it?! We are lying to our families."

"Yes, but honestly I'd rather lie and play fiancé than deal with the disappointing truth of how I'm a failure to them."

"You're not a failure, Natsu." She spoke softly.

"Well I may not be a failure but I am a loser. Sucky job, horrible living arrangements, no friends…"

"Then, I'm a loser too. I mean what kind of person brings their married boyfriend home to meet her dad…" Natsu and Lucy chuckled.

"Then us losers better stick together." Lucy and Natsu smiled at one another; a small moment of peace before the chaos ensued.

…

Natsu and Lucy awkwardly sat next to one another in silence at the table as their families shared stories back and forth of the two when they were younger. Somehow marrying a childhood friend seemed more embarrassing since their parents would know everything and that means EVERYTHING about you.

"Who knew that all those games of house when you were younger would lead to you having a home together," Grandine fondly stated.

"Pretty sure that had no bearing in our engagement," Natsu muttered as he played with the peas on his plate. Considering it's a sham.

"I think what my wife is getting at is you always felt at home here as part of our family and now we are so happy to make it real," Igneel clarified.

"Thank you for always making me feel welcome," Lucy responded. She was genuinely touched; she had always loved the Dragneels and honestly spent more time at their house than her own growing up. She was there so much Lucy practically lived in their guest room. So many times in her life, she had wanted to be a part of their family because she missed that feeling… of belonging to a family.

"We can't wait to see our family grow!" Jude added. Content with her addition to the conversation, Lucy took a bite of her food. Natsu had been trying to stay out of everything but stuffing his face with food and drink.

"So when can we expect our first grandchild?" Grandine jeered. Natsu spit out the water he was drinking while Lucy began coughing on the food she was trying not to choke on. "Don't you think it's a little early to be thinking of something like that?" Natsu added.

"Irene is already a grandmother and Erza and Jellal aren't much older than you two."

"Yes but they were married two years before they had a kid," Lucy reasoned.

"But you are young and in love, I'm sure it won't take long," Grandine winked.

"If they haven't started already," Jude tacked on. Both Natsu and Lucy blushed madly but this time Lucy yelled at her father. Wendy and Igneel chuckled with one another as Jude and Grandine continued to embarrass their children.

"Can we talk about something else, please?!" Natsu pleaded.

"Where is your ring, Lucy?" Wendy asked. The room seemed to go silent and while Natsu and Lucy could hear their hearts beating out of their chests. With wide eyes and sweating profusely, Natsu answered, "Ummm… we were saving up to buy a real ring for her since she deserves the absolute best and that's what I want to give her." Everyone's heart seemed to melt at the heartfelt answer, bringing some relief to the couple.

"So were you thinking of moving back here to start your family or were you going to move in together in the city?" Grandine began.

_I can't take much more of this_, Lucy thought. Lucy pushed back her chair from the table to excuse herself but whispered, "Natsu, I need to talk to you." Lucy got up quietly and left with the pinkette following close behind.

Once they reached the living room, Lucy turned quickly and glared at Natsu. "What the heck is wrong with your mother?!"

"My mother, what about your dad?! With that comment, they are bound to think this is some kind of shotgun wedding!"

"Like I'd ever have your child!"

"Like I'd ever want you to have my child!"

"Any guy would be lucky to be with me!"

"Look at me, I'm Lucy, I'm weird and I can get any guy I want, but only if he's married!" Lucy gasped in shock but quickly retaliated. "I'm Natsu, I'm a 27 year old dead beat who can't commit to anything, especially a relationship."

"I can to!"

"Prove it!" Lucy yelled but the two stopped when they sensed they were no longer alone. They slowly turned their heads to see Grandine, Igneel and Jude standing in the doorway. "Umm… Lucy?" Grandine began, "Will you help Wendy and I in the kitchen for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure." Anything to get away from this conversation. Lucy walked past Natsu and through the two fathers to follow Grandine into the other room. Natsu walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to the window.

Knowing, he had to wait for Lucy before they could go back to the apartment, Natsu decided to kill time by playing on his phone. He flipped through the messages he had from his high school friends; they were all so excited to see one another and gush about their lives. Natsu was too enthralled by his phone to notice Jude wheel up to him.

"Natsu…" the pinkette looked up and was confused to notice Jude sitting there.

"Uh, yes sir?"

"I know I haven't always been the best father to Lucy…" Natsu opened his mouth to reassure Jude but he continued, "No, arguing, I wasn't the best and I am living with that mistake now. But in my carelessness, you were always there to watch over her and take care of her and for that I am eternally grateful." Natsu's shoulders fell slightly. In a very distant past, Natsu remembered Jude was a wise and gentle man but he hadn't seen that side of him in years.

"It was my pleasure," Natsu softly spoke.

"For that reason, there is no doubt in my mind that Lucy will be okay once I'm gone… because she'll have you." His chest began to tighten. He'd never heard such words from Jude before; even at their graduation all he received from the man was a silent handshake.

"I see the way the two of you look at one another and she seems most comfortable and happy when she is around you. I am so proud of the woman she has become and I am honored to have you as my son-in-law." Natsu watched as Jude reached in his pants pocket and pulled out a small, black box.

"Don't worry about saving up for a ring." Jude stated as he hadn't Natsu the box. Slowly and carefully, he opened the lid to see a gorgeous diamond ring with cut out stars in the band. "Is this…" he began to question but Jude simply nodded.

"This was Layla's… Lucy always loved this ring, she would say the diamond glimmered as brightly as a real star." As Jude spoke, Natsu stared into the ring allowing memories of Layla to flood his mind. "I proposed to her with this ring when we were about the same age as you and Lucy. She came from a well off family and I was on my own so I didn't have much… but together we built a life and a home. I hope the two of you can do the same."

Natsu looked back up at the man and met his gaze. "Just promise me you will take care of her for the rest of your life… then I can rest easy." Switching his focal point between Jude's eyes, he swallowed deeply and clenched the box in his hand. "I promise."

…

The walk back was silent, fueled by a multitude of emotions from the course of the trip so far. Natsu couldn't help but clench the box in his pocket and stare down at this feet as he walked. The box, probably weighing a bit more than a pound, held a huge weight in his hand. This due not just because of the promise behind it but also because of the promise he made.

He stole a glance at the blonde as they strode through the night. Her hair gleamed in the lights of the street lamps they passed beneath but what struck him was the light in her eyes. No matter what Lucy faced, she came out on top and while she was facing it, she had such a fire a drive to get through. She used to tell him a star burned brightest as it fell and boy did she sure shine in this moment.

The two remained silent as Lucy stopped to open the apartment door and then as they walked inside. The two climbed the steps until they reached their destination and walked in; however, they were not alone. Lucy stopped when she saw her brother sitting on the futon. At first she was surprised to see him but then worry set in when she saw how angry he was.

"Hey, Sting… good to see you." Natsu spoke. Sting stood, his fists balled, his eyes piercing and his shoulders flexed… he did not look happy. Lucy was confused because Sting loved Natsu; he always looked up to him as a role model and even tried to one up him at times. But now was not the admiring gaze he usually wore with Natsu, to Lucy it seemed he was almost pissed at him.

"You slept with my sister?!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5! Thank you for all the feedback I am getting. For clarifying purposes, this does not occur right after high school, it is several years after that. **

**This chapter is kinda short but I wanted to leave this here since I will be gone for a week. And... it's the first chapter I've written on my new laptop! So all you MRNL fans look for a new chapter next month!**

**Enjoy and as always please review!**

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"Sting, it's a misunderstanding…" Natsu stated as he slowly backed up and the angry blonde began to walk towards him.

"A misunderstanding?! You called me just the other day to tell me about some hot chick you just hooked up with and then you show up here with my sister?!" Sting lunged towards Natsu but the pinkette was able to dodge the advance by running around the table.

"It's not what you think!" Natsu continued to argue. Lucy's shoulders dropped when she heard; she didn't bother to think about what her lie would do to Natsu's life. "You're seeing someone?" she asked as she slowly lifted her head to make eye contact with Natsu. _How could I not consider him in this?_

The room seemed to come to a standstill for a moment. Lucy felt guilty, Natsu was shocked and Sting was pissed. "YOU'RE CHEATING ON MY SISTER?!" If Natsu was even shaken before, now he was terrified. Sting always had an anger issue, especially when it came to Natsu. It was a weird relationship of constantly one uping each other but respecting one another in the process.

Sting lunged to the right to get around the table, the one thing obstructing him from strangling Natsu. Natsu's instant reaction was to push the chair beside him into his blonde attacker and run the opposite direction.

"It's not like that!" Natsu looked back to see Sting had deflected the chair with his forearm with ease and was still in pursuit. "What, does my sister mean nothing to you?!" Lucy just stood still and watched as Sting continued to chase Natsu around the apartment; it was almost like an epic game of tag except it wasn't a game and it would end with punches being thrown.

Natsu jumped on top of the bed just as Sting dove forward towards him. "If you just give me a second to explain…"

"I don't want to hear the dirty details of your love affair!" Sting yelled as he stood and pulled Natsu off the bed by his legs. Lucy held her face in her hands as the two rolled around on the floor, Sting trying to punch at Natsu but to no avail because Natsu had his arms pinned. With a heavy sigh, she strode over to where the two were rolling around to break up the fight. "Alright, stop it you two," she yelled as she smacked the back of whoever was on top at the moment. "Sting, sit down and Natsu and I will explain everything."

…

"So it's all fake?" Sting asked incredulously, to which Natsu and Lucy both nodded in response. "And you're doing all this to make dad happy?" They nodded again.

Lucy was able to calm her brother down and sit him on the futon to deliver the news. She went on about Dan (Sting responded by threatening to kill the male and Natsu agreed to help hide the body), her phone call with their father and her depressed mindset when concocting the scheme.

Sting sat in silence for a moment just trying to piece everything together. "So… you're not dating." Both nodded again. "And you didn't sleep together?"

Lucy nodded but Natsu quickly answered, "Yet." Lucy and Sting's eyes both went wide; before Sting could react physically, Lucy hit Natsu in the chest with the back of her hand, "Natsu!"

"I'm joking, geez."

"That's not funny," Sting deadpanned.

"Agreed."

"And the girl you hooked up with?" Sting sighed.

"Just some girl I met at the bar. It was a one night stand kind of thing, nothing serious came out of it," Natsu said the last part more so for Lucy's benefit. Sting leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He shook his head before he spoke, "It'll kill him when he finds out."

"IF he finds out," Natsu clarified.

"And he won't because we won't tell him." Lucy pushed as she stared hard at her brother. "Please don't say anything." An almost plea but more so demand, from the older sibling to the younger.

"So I'm just supposed to smile and play along?"

"Just for the weekend," Natsu answered.

"Preferably." Lucy added.

"Lucy…" Sting began but she was quick to jump to her defense.

"Look, Dad has always got on my case about marriage. First it was to better the company and I refused because I wanted to marry for love…"

"Then what is this?!" Sting yelled.

Natsu placed a hand up defensively between the two siblings, "We aren't actually married, Sting."

"Mom wasn't at your wedding and I know it killed all of us knowing she wasn't there… I think it saddens him to imagine he won't be there for mine… but at least meeting my future husband is enough for him. If I can make him happy just by having Natsu pretend to be engaged to me… then I will. At least he will have fond memories of his last moments."

The room was silent… death seemed to be a strong force which followed both families. Natsu's parents died when he was a baby and Igneel and Grandine took him in as their own. Lucy and Sting lost their mother yet it seemed death was not satisfied… it was now coming for Jude.

"What if he lives longer than he says… are you guys gonna continue to charade until he actually passes?" Natsu and Lucy thought about it… they didn't get that far in the thought process behind the plan.

"We'll deal with it once we get there. We are just going to focus on this week." Lucy responded. It was just too difficult to think about things that far in advance.

"I guess I will play along." Natsu and Lucy perked their heads up, Lucy overjoyed and Natsu still surprised he agreed. "Really?!"

"But this doesn't mean I approve of what you're doing."

"Oh thank you brother!" Lucy cooed as she wrapped her brother in a hug. Sting reluctantly hugged her back. His sister was weird but he still loved her, fake plans and all. As soon as Lucy released her grasp on Sting, Natsu walked up, "Bring it in brother!" he yelled with open arms.

"I'm out of here," Sting stood from the futon and began walking towards the door. "Just remember to get to the Dragneel house at a decent time tomorrow. We need help setting up all the tables and chairs."

Natsu wrapped his arm around Lucy's shoulders and pulled her in tight. "We'll be there," he responded with a giant grin on his face, knowing Sting hated what he was doing. Sting turned, cursing under his breath, and exited the apartment.

As soon as the door shut, Lucy threw Natsu's arm off of her. "What was that?!"

"What?!" Natsu shrugged.

"I swore him to secrecy, I don't need you egging him on and make things worse," she angrily stated as she trudged over to her suitcase by the bed. She threw the case down on the mattress, unzipped it and began taking out some clothes.

"What are you doing?" Natsu called as he stood at the makeshift box wall they constructed.

"I'm getting dressed for bed."

He crossed his arms across his chest, "Why do you get the bed?"

Lucy paused, "Excuse me?!" He strode over to her until he was millimeters from her face. While Lucy was shocked and disgusted, Natsu was smug. "Cuz I'm the girl."

"So." He deadpanned. Lucy threw the clothes in her hand into the open suitcase and turned to face him, crossing her arms as well. "I figured you'd be the gentleman and let the lady sleep on the bed."

"You figured wrong," he whispered. He moved past her to stand in front of her suitcase. "Well… I'm the guest here and I'm doing you a huge favor by pretending to be engaged to you so…" he remarked as he put the items into the suitcase, zipped it up and thrust it into her arms. "I'm taking the bed."

"WHAT?!"

"Remember that favor you owe me?" he wiggled his eyebrows as he retrieved his duffel bag from the living room area.

"Seriously?! You're wasting your favor on this?" Natsu set his bag down on the mattress where Lucy's used to be. "I mean… unless you want to share the bed with me?" he followed his statement with a wink.

"Ugh!" Lucy turned her head in disgust and strode into the living room. Natsu couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before." He jested. She always wore her heart on her sleeve which made her fun to tease. She threw her suitcase down onto the table and took out her choice of pajamas for the evening.

Between the cracks in their box wall, she could see Natsu gathering his bathroom items. She quickly grabbed everything she needed and ran towards the bathroom door. She got there right as Natsu was reaching for the handle but she was just a tad quicker. "Then you won't mind if I use the bathroom first!" She smirked as his eyes went wide and she smirked even more once she entered the small bathroom and slammed the door in his face.

She made sure to take extra long getting ready for bed; she brushed her teeth twice, rubbed lotion all over her body, washed her face slowly and even took the time to braid her hair. Content with her twenty minutes, she strode out of the bathroom, a big smile on her face. The smile quickly went away when she saw a shirtless Natsu lounging on the futon reading a familiar looking book.

"Took you long enough," he remarked, his eyes never leaving the pages.

"Is that my notebook?!" she yelled. She quickly threw her stuff down on the card table acting as the dining table and strode over to the pinkette. "Stop going through my stuff!" she yelled as she attempted to reach for her notebook but Natsu moved it farther from her reach. "Is this your latest story?" he asked genuinely.

"Yes and I need you to give it back, it's not finished." She stated as she ripped the notebook out of his grasp.

"But you never finish any of your stories." The statement made her pause; she stared at the closed notebook in her hands which held her newest project. He was right though… she had been writing stories as long as she could remember… well, pretty much since she could pick up a pencil; however, she just never could seem to finish anything she wrote. She lost interest or her life got busy and she dropped the story, or she couldn't think of how to end it… pretty much all excuses.

"But I know you will someday," Natsu muttered as he walked around her towards the bathroom. Natsu shut the door leaving Lucy alone with her thoughts. She wanted to be a writer, that was the whole point of getting a job where she did but to be honest, she has settled in a comfortable rut as a mere editor. _I mean I kinda write… right?_

The creaking of the bed on the opposite side of the room roused her from her thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder at the sound but took the hint when the light turned off. Lucy placed her notebook back into the backpack beside her before laying down on the futon. Once comfortable underneath the blankets, she reached over to the lamp and gently flipped the switch to completely darken the room.

Silence filled the air palpable with raw emotion… for Lucy, it was guilt, sadness, but above all else worry. How long did her dad have to live? What would happen to his estate? To Mrs. Spetzo? How would Sting feel? Would their sham be found out? How would her father feel? All those questions flooded her mind… why was it when she tried to sleep that's when her mind decided to work in overtime?

Natsu rolled over in bed, rustling the sheets and creating a soft sound but one loud enough for Lucy to hear. Thinking of him brought her mixed emotion, both comfort and sorrow. She was glad to have him here with her in this mess but that's exactly what made her sad… she drug him into this. She owed him more than sleeping on the bed.

She sighed, releasing her emotion in the sentence, "I'm sorry."

"You said that already," she heard.

"I'm still sorry for getting you involved in all this but… I shouldn't have taken it out on you or Grandine." She was confused when she was met with a chuckle. "She deserved it anyways." She couldn't help but smile.

"She has always been a very passionate woman and she tends to get overly excited about things she is passionate about… which can be a bit overbearing."

"So I've seen," it was her turn to chuckle. Countless memories played in her head of times when Grandine put Natsu in some embarrassing situations because of her 'passion.' His humiliation was fun to watch but she knew it was always out of love… a love she so desperately longed for from her father.

"I'm sorry for getting angry with you." Lucy's eyes went wide and looked over in her roommate's direction. "I know your dad is just excited to see you get married and all the different possibilities that lie in your future… and I know it kills him inside to know he won't be a part of it." Natsu stared into the diamond of the ring he twirled in his fingers. He remembered the look on Jude's face when he promised him he would protect Lucy's future. He saw pride, of his daughter and her choices… including him; but he also saw the sadness.

"I'm sorry, I should have picked a different word." He glanced over at their box wall in an attempt to get his apology across to her.

"It's okay." He looked at the ring once more before placing it back in the little black box then placing it in the drawer of the bedside table.

"Hey, Luce?" He glanced back in her direction.

"Yeah, Natsu?"

"You're amazing." Her eyes went wide. "You are so selfless; you care so much about people that you help them no matter what it costs you. What you are doing for your dad is admirable… so don't feel bad about it or by including me." Lucy blushed and smiled at his kind words. "And just because you can get any guy doesn't mean any of them deserve you. You deserve someone who can give his focus to you and treat you with respect and devotion… not like that Dan guy."

Lucy continued to blush as she smiled. "When we get home, remind me to find him and kick his ass."

"I already punched the man; don't you think that's enough?" she jested.

"I wish I could have been there to see that! I know how you punch so I bet it was amazing!" The two chuckled at one another. "Was it anything like your fight with Bacchus?"

"Oh my gosh! I forgot about that!" Lucy yelled. During her junior year in high school, Natsu and Lucy went with their football and cheerleading teams respectively to a party where the rival team was invited, no one had a clue why they were there. Regardless, one of their players, Bacchus, got drunk and tried hitting on her. She turned him down politely several times before she resulted to telling him off, which she hated to do but the guy just wouldn't take the hint.

She tried to walk away from him but the scumbag took the opportunity to grab a hand full of her ass. Lucy was too consumed by rage to exactly remember what happened next, but Natsu told her she punched him so hard he went flying across the room and crashed into the drink table. When his teammates went to check on him, he was out cold. Natsu claimed he got off lucky because he would have torn him to shreds but he knew Lucy could handle herself.

"Hahaha, not quite. I know I knocked him back but I left too quickly to know what happened to him."

"He's lucky you stopped there." Lucy chuckled at their conversation.

"Luce," she stopped laughing to listen to her friend, "No matter what, let's agree to just have fun this weekend."

"That sounds like a great idea." Lucy agreed. Both of them rolled over to face away from the makeshift wall, smiling and actually a bit hopeful for the weekend.

The blonde felt herself drifting off to sleep but right before she let it take her, she said, "Natsu…"

"Yeah, Luce," he said comically.

"I've missed you." With that, she drifted off but the pinkette stayed awake a moment more. "Me too, Luce… me too."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! I hope this chapter brightens your morning. I am loving this story and I appreciate all the reviews. **

**We will introduce some new characters into this story and some, honestly, will be a bit OC (namely Yukino). But it all plays a part in what I plan on doing.**

**Please review, I respond to them all. Thank you for your patience. Enjoy!**

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Day 2

Bzzz… Bzzz…. Bzzz… A constant buzzing slowly began to creep into Lucy's subconscious waking her from her slumber. Groggy, Lucy raised her head and looked at the table where she left her phone the night before. The screen was lit up signaling Lucy had received a message.

With a large sigh, Lucy reached her arm out of the blankets and grabbed her phone. Even though the room was fully lit, she still winced at the brightness of her screen. 'Grandy made some muffins for breakfast but if that's not enough be sure to grab something before you come over.- Dad' Here we go… day 2.

Lucy typed a quick response to her father before placing the phone back on the table. She fell back onto the futon with a thud and took a chance to catch her breath. "Natsu," she called once she regained her small bit of confidence, but she received no response. "Natsu!" she called again but when she didn't hear a response, she sat up and looked between the cracks of the box wall.

She saw the pinkette was still asleep. With another sigh, Lucy stood up and walked over to the bed where the pinkette laid. His tan leg hung off the bed and the blanket rested just below his belly button, perfectly showing off his defined stomach. Lucy was always amazed at how fit Natsu was; he was the physically strongest person she knew. She noticed he wasn't as defined as he was in high school but then again, she wasn't as curvy as she was back then either.

Lucy reached out and hit the exposed leg, "Natsu!" He stirred a little but stayed in his sleep state. Natsu had always been a heavy sleeper… how did she wake him up in the past. Once she remembered, a sly smile grew in her face. Lucy walked up to the head of the bed to get closer to Natsu's face. She looked down at his sleeping face, one not so appealing as his mouth was wide open and his hair was everywhere.

She bent down, got close to his ear and screamed as loud as she possibly could, "NATSU!" His eyes shot open, his whole body twitched so much he fell out of the bed. "What the hell, Lucy?!" he said as he crawled his way to a seated position, still on the floor.

"I've been trying to get you up for the past five minutes," she responded. Natsu stood up and stared at her as he still tried to wake up. "Well you didn't have to yell," he stated as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Apparently I did because you barely moved. They are expecting us at the house so get dressed." Lucy uncrossed her arms and strode over to her side of the apartment. Natsu couldn't help but notice her tight camisole which clung to her figure and the short shorts which showed off her legs. After all these years and she looked just as beautiful as he always remembered. He continued to watch through the cracks as she grabbed her things and walked into the bathroom.

He changed his clothes, somewhat keeping in mind he would have to make an impression tonight and his usual attire would put forward a negative one. He decided on a pair of khaki shorts and a light button-down shirt; acceptable barbecue attire, at least according to the internet. As he put on his wristwatch, he walked near the bathroom door to see where she was in her morning routine. It sounded like she was brushing her teeth so she should be done soon.

"So what are we doing about breakfast?" he asked.

"Your mom made muffins but if you want anything else, we can stop by the café." She opened the door and met his eyes, "Knowing you, muffins won't be enough, but I need caffeine anyway." She was a little shocked to be so close to him, but she also wondered why he was standing so close to the bathroom door.

She broke eye contact for a moment to look at his appearance. Lucy couldn't help but notice the color of his shirt matched the color of her sundress almost perfectly. "Ugh, you need to change."

Natsu pointed at himself, "Me?! Why me?"

"We can't go to the house like this," Lucy motioned between the two of them. Natsu looked at her outfit, then down at his then back to her. "What's wrong with it? We look nice."

"We match, that's the problem." Lucy trudged over to her suitcase and began riffling through her clothes. "Why is matching a problem?" He questioned as she threw her clothes about.

"That's too coupley. I don't want to make us stand out anymore than necessary." She did have a point there, he reasoned. "And I'm assuming you don't have any other nice clothes but that."

Insulted, he asked, "Why would you assume that?"

She stopped and turned around towards him, "Please, I know you, Natsu. You probably had to go out and buy this." She chuckled at herself before turning back to her suitcase. _Damn, how did she know?_ She settled on another sundress and walked into the bathroom to change.

…

The two walked down Main Street together on their way to the Dragneel house. It was lovely outside; the perfect temperature to enjoy an afternoon outside surrounded by friends and family… and the entire town that was buying into your lie.

"If we are going to face everyone, we need to get things straight." Lucy started.

"Okay, like what?" he inquired.

"Like how long have we been together, how you proposed… things like that."

He shrugged, "Why does that matter?"

She mentally face palmed, "Because, unfortunately, women are interested in that kind of thing."

"Well then you can answer those questions. I will just agree with whatever you say." _At least he's got that part of marriage down already_, she thought.

"How do you want me to act?" Natsu asked, to which Lucy answered with a questioning look. "Like do you want me to act over the top, head over heels in love with you or do you want something milder?"

Lucy chuckled, "Are you asking me what flavor of Natsu I want?"

"That sounds weird if you put it that way… but sure." She thought for a second… the over the top thing would probably sell for some people but she knew it would be uncomfortable for both of them. They couldn't exactly ignore one another on the other hand either. "I guess just be yourself; act how you would with a girlfriend."

"So… normal then?"

"Yep!" she smiled, "Just the way you are is best." He paused and looked at her smile; something about it warmed him which was odd since he was normally an above average temperature. Lucy's phone rang inside her pocket; she retrieved it and saw Levy's name and face on the screen.

"Hey, Natsu, I need to take this. Can you order me a Venti Caramel Macchiato with extra caramel and nonfat milk?" With a nod, Natsu entered the shop and waited in line.

Lucy let a breath out before answering the phone. "Levy-chan! How are you?"

"Forget the small chat, Lu, why did you not tell me you were engaged?! And to Natsu?!" How did she hear?! "It's… a long story."

"Well I expect to hear all about it at the barbecue today!"

"Oh, we will be there. We are on our way, but we stopped so Natsu can get some food."

"I get it. Grandine's muffins are amazing but probably doesn't have nearly enough for him and everyone else."

"I'm at the shop now, I gotta order. I will see you in about 15 minutes."

"Okay, see you, Lu-chan!" Lucy clicked the end call button on her phone. To lie to her best friend or to tell the truth… that is truly the question.

…

Natsu always hated waiting in line; the people, the noise, the added annoyance… it wasn't his thing. Unfortunately, the café was a bit busy this morning but then again it was early on a special festival week; translated in the food service world as busy and profitable.

He decided to pass the time by scrolling through his feed on his phone. He saw a photo of his cousin, Gajeel with his girlfriend. _That's right, Igneel said they were staying there… so they've probably heard everything._ He scrolled past more pictures of people he knew celebrating milestones in their lives; _not me, not me, not me._

"Next." Natsu stepped forward and without looking up from his phone he stated his order. "I'd like a Venti nonfat Caramel Macchiato with extra caramel and for me a venti black coffee, a Bacon breakfast sandwich, two croissants and a bagel with cream cheese."

"Natsu?" the familiarity of the voice stunned him. He slowly lifted his head and met eyes with the barista. "Lisanna?" Lisanna, the girl he thought was the love of his life; Lisanna, the girl who also broke his heart.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm in town for the festival visiting family… what about you? You're still in Magnolia?"

She nodded but there seemed to be a twinge of pain behind it. "Yeah, I went to the local community college and now I am in vet school. I work here part time to help pay for my student loans."

"So, you've pursued veterinary work? That's awesome."

Lisanna's eyes travelled the full length of Natsu's body before returning to his face, "Well… when I see something I want, I go after it."

"You're determination was always something I loved about you," he remarked; too bad she wasn't determined their relationship would last.

"Lisanna, you've got a line!" the manager called from the back room.

"Sorry," she stated as she turned back to Natsu and handed him his items. "Catch up sometime this week?"

He nodded, "Sure. See ya!" He walked out of the café and noticed a rather troubled looking Lucy. "You okay?" Lucy whipped her head around to see Natsu looking at her oddly. She nodded wildly, "Oh… yeah, just talked to Levy."

He handed over her coffee before the two began walking towards their destination once more. "She ask about us?" he asked with a mouth full of food.

"Yep," she snapped the 'p' on the end.

"What did you tell her?" he was kind enough to wait until he swallowed to speak.

"I told her I would tell her when we got there. She's staying at your parents' house, I can't very well tell her the truth… our families might find out."

"Even if she is your best friend?"

"Are you gonna tell Gray the truth?" she questioned.

"Why would I tell him?" he asked defensively.

"Cuz he is your best friend?"

Natsu sighed disgustedly, " Why would I be friends with a stripper like him?!" Lucy smiled and sipped her coffee; there was nothing better then the taste of warm coffee in the morning.

As Lucy pulled the coffee away from her lips, she noticed some writing on her cup. She turned the cup to see the writing more clearly and was stunned by what she read… Lisanna's name with a phone number next to a heart. The blonde glanced over at the man next to her and noticed how he ate all his food perfectly content. So Lisanna was back… but Natsu didn't look influenced by bumping into her. What did that mean?

…

Without knocking, Natsu and Lucy strode into the Dragneel house and announced they were there. The two strode through the house towards the back where the kitchen was located. Grandine was working in the kitchen, cleaning up her mess from making breakfast.

The woman glanced up and smiled, "Good morning!" The woman stopped and her mouth dropped open. She wiped her hands off on her apron as she walked around the counter towards them. "Don't you two look so precious!" Confused, Lucy glanced down at her outfit. She was in such a frazzled state to change because they matched, she didn't realize she wore a long white sundress as a 'newly engaged' woman to her fake fiance's family's barbecue. _Crap!_ She thought. All she wanted to do was blend into the background today and instead she becomes a statement.

"Let me get a picture!" Natsu and Lucy groaned and complained as Grandine pulled out her cell phone from her pocket. The two didn't stand a chance at arguing with her so they eventually gave in. "Alright, scoot together." She wiggled her hand to motion the two to move closer to one another. Lucy had taken many pictures with Natsu in the past, even some in this same pose, but this time it felt awkward.

Lucy turned towards Natsu so she faced Natsu's side. Natsu responded by wrapping his arm around Lucy's waist. "Aww! Okay, smile!" Grandine called as she stared at her phone. Natsu and Lucy smiled, each trying to suppress the myriad of emotions they were experiencing.

"That looks beautiful," Grandine commented as she put her phone down. "I will have to send that to Jude." Grandine placed her phone back in her pocket and walked back into the kitchen to continue cleaning up. "Did you two sleep well?" Lucy chose to ignore the suggestive inflection in that question.

Lucy and Natsu each took a seat in one of the barstools around the kitchen counter. "Surprisingly, yeah. That apartment is pretty cool," Natsu commented. Lucy grumbled to herself as she sipped her coffee; the futon wasn't uncomfortable, but she didn't have much room to roll over when she needed to.

"I'm assuming you both haven't had breakfast?" Grandine implored to which both shook their heads.

"Well, I needed coffee, so we stopped at the local café so Natsu grabbed a morning snack." Lucy answered.

"Good thing I made these," Grandine pulled a plate from the counter revealing a large pile of freshly made blueberry muffins. Lucy quickly grabbed one and took a huge bite; a sense of satisfaction overwhelmed Lucy's senses. "Don't worry, Natsu, I made your favorite." She raised a second smaller plate of quiche and placed it next to the plate of muffins. "Yosh!" Natsu cheered as he stuffed two into his mouth simultaneously.

"Natsu, we need your help out here!" Igneel called from the rear deck. With a sigh, Natsu shoved the remaining quiche in his mouth and trudged out the door. "So what can I help with?" Lucy asked, as she took another bite of her muffin.

"You just keep eating, Lucy. When I'm done cleaning up, you can help me prepare the food for the barbecue." Grandine commented as she wiped down the counter.

"Are you cooking it all?" Lucy asked as she took another bite.

"No, Igneel is cooking the main meal and I am making a couple sides. Other people from the town are bringing drinks, desserts and other sides."

Lucy swallowed the last bit of her muffin, "I'm going to have to get this recipe from you, Grandine. Your muffins are the best!"

"Of course, Lucy, and I will give you the recipe for the Bacon Siracha Quiche as well."

"That's okay, Grandine. Those are too spicy for me anyway."

"No, silly. They are for Natsu." Lucy looked at Grandine with a blank stare. "You know what they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Grandine winked.

"It's true," Lucy turned to see Igneel walk through the back door into the kitchen. "It was Grandine's cooking which first drew her to me." Igneel stood next to his wife and gazed lovingly into her eyes.

"It was a bake sale for the senior class and he just happened to buy my chocolate chip cookies," Grandine replied, not breaking their gaze.

"It was love at first bite." He smiled before giving his wife a chaste kiss. Lucy couldn't help but glance away. "Seriously guys?" she stated.

Igneel and Grandine broke away but still stood in each other's arms. "We're going to be your parents soon too, Lucy, so we might as well start embarrassing you now." Igneel stated before he grabbed a water bottle and returned outside. Grandine couldn't help but chuckle at her absurd husband and Lucy's reaction.

"In all honesty, Lucy, we are glad to have you here," Grandine smiled widely at the blonde. Lucy's chest tightened as she looked back at the blue haired woman. Lucy loved spending time with the Dragneels' but she hated leading them along. "Happy to be here," she muttered.

Lucy slowly stood, walked around the counter and placed her dishes in the sink. She grabbed an apron from the pantry before strolling over to Grandine. "So what do you want me to do first?" she asked, as she tied the straps around her waist.

"You can start by cleaning and cutting the potatoes for the salad." Grandine pointed at the unopened bag of potatoes. Lucy opened the bag and began scrubbing each of the potatoes before placing them in a large bowl.

The two casually talked about life and embarrassing memories of Natsu while they prepared the food for later that day. Lucy finished cutting her last potato and glanced up at the clock in the kitchen which read '2:30.' Confused, she glanced over her shoulder at Grandine, "I thought Levy and Gajeel were staying here, where are they?"

"They won't be here until later. Apparently Gajeel got lost and the two used the time to sight see." Knowing Levy she is probably buying more books, Lucy thought. "They should be here in time for the start of the party though." Lucy nodded her head... at least she had some time before they arrived.

"We're here!" the familiar voice of her brother called from near the front door.

"Back here!" Grandine responded from the kitchen. A moment later, Sting came walking around the corner with his wife, Yukino, and their children in tow. "Auntie Lucy!" Lucy glanced over to see her blonde nephew running towards her. She rounded the corner and knelt on the ground so she could hug her nephew. "Lector!"

Lucy debated as to whether or not she wanted children, but she only came to a conclusion when Yukino had Lector. She absolutely loved being an aunt; she would babysit for Sting and Yukino whenever she was in town, and her and Lector would make pillow forts in the living room and watch cartoons.

"You've gotten so big!" she called at the child. Yukino silently pointed at the sleeping infant in her arms before pointing down the hall. Grandine seemed to understand and followed her out of the room. Lucy looked back at her nephew, "So how old are you now? 18? 20?"

The child giggled, "I'm 5, silly." Lucy chuckled and placed a hand on her forehead. "My bad, you're just so big!"

"Sis, where is everybody at?" Sting asked.

Lucy looked up from her place on the floor, "The guys are all outside setting stuff up." Sting sighed in response knowing he would be needed there. "Is Igneel out there?!" Lector asked excitedly.

"He sure is!" Lucy chuckled.

"Igneel!" the boy yelled as he ran out the back door; Sting followed shortly after his son. Lucy followed them as they walked outside but shut the glass door behind them. Lucy watched as the small blonde boy ran over to Igneel and the older man pick him up joyously and spin him in the air. She chuckled as Igneel, Sting and Lector began playing tag outside.

She didn't notice Yukino walk up beside her until she spoke. "Our babysitter cancelled last minute, one night, and Igneel offered to babysit. Ever since then, the two are almost inseparable."

"Well at least they have one another," she responded.

"But you know what that means…" Lucy looked at her sister in law with a confused look. "It means Igneel is ready to be a grandparent and I wouldn't doubt Grandine is too far off." Lucy sighed in annoyance and hung her head. "No pressure or anything," Yukino chuckled in response as she glanced over at the blonde.

Yukino leaned in close before whispering, "But good thing that isn't an option seeing as you two aren't even engaged."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello all! Happy Nalu Week! I hope you all have enjoyed this story so far and continue to enjoy it. Thank you for all the reviews and messages about the story; they brighten my day when I read them.**

**Anyway, enjoy. I don't own the characters but I use them for my own evil purposes. Mwah haha! Enjoy! ;)**

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Lucy's eyes went wide; she slowly turned her head to look at her sister-in-law. She expected Yukino to react but the white haired girl simply stared happily out the window at her son.

"W-what do you mean?" Lucy hesitantly questioned.

"Oh, please, Lucy, I know you and Natsu are faking the engagement," Yukino glanced over at the blonde before returning her eyes outside.

"You know?!" she yelled. Yukino quickly shushed Lucy before walking here away from the door and into the kitchen. "Lucy, be quiet unless you want the whole town to know."

"How do you know?!" she whisper yelled.

"Sting told me." She deadpanned.

"He told you?"

Yukino crossed her arms and sighed, "Of course he did. We are married, we tell each other everything." Yukino paused to chuckle, "Well… that and he left the house fuming last night then came home in a calm but furious state."

"So he told you," she reasoned.

"He needed to vent. As much as I truly love the idea of you and Natsu together," Yukino didn't pause enough for Lucy to interrupt, "It was hilarious to see him all worked up."

Lucy turned towards her sister-in-law and grasped her hand within both of her own, "Will you please keep the secret?!"

Yukino sighed and smiled, "Of course, Lucy. You are my sister too, so what happens in the family, stays in the family." Lucy and Yukino shared a hug before Grandine returned to the room.

"I was able to put Star down so hopefully she will be asleep for a few hours." Grandine stated.

"Then it looks like I have some time; what do you need help with?" Yukino offered. Grandine instructed the girls on how to complete the different sides she planned on making. Luckily, Yukino arrived just in time for them to finish just as the festivities were starting.

Lucy grabbed the bowl of potato salad she prepared, walked outside and placed it on the designated food table. She had just enough time to set the bowl down before she was tackled by 3 pairs of arms. "Lu-chan!" her best friend called out.

"Levy-chan! Juvia! Erza!" Lucy responded as she reciprocated the group hug. The girls laughed and giggled as they held each other tightly. "I'm so happy to see all of you!" Lucy added.

"It's great to see you too, Lucy," Erza stated. The girls broke apart but Levy quickly grabbed onto Lucy's left hand. "You have to tell us everything!" Levy squealed. Lucy's shoulders slumped slightly as the other girls around her jumped up and down.

"I'm sure there is plenty of time later to talk about me. I want to hear about each of your lives," Lucy glanced around at her closest friends. Erza, Juvia and Levy looked at Lucy the one another confused. "Are you kidding? We can talk about our boring lives later. We want to hear all about you and Natsu!"

Erza and Levy started to squeal again while Lucy laughed nervously. "Umm… Lucy?" Juvia asked, drawing the attention of all the girls. "Where is your ring?" The girls paused and simultaneously glanced down at Lucy's bare hand. "It's, uh, in the shop."

"The shop?" Juvia asked.

Lucy nodded, "The ring needed to be sized so we had it taken into a jeweler."

"Oh, but I bet it's beautiful!" Erza cooed. Lucy knew Erza was always a secret romantic, but it wasn't truly evident until Jellal proposed to her. Ever since then, she was a huge supporter of the relationships of those within their friend group; she was a big proponent of getting Levy and Gajeel together and she pretty much had Gray and Juvia on lock down.

"So how did he propose?!" Juvia inquired.

Erza placed a hand under her chin to think, "Natsu doesn't strike me as someone who is romantic or even in tune to anything dealing with romance so I can't imagine what it would be." Juvia and Erza got into their own discussion about possible romantic proposal ideas and stories.

Levy took advantage of the discussion to whisper into Lucy's ear, "Are you okay, Lu-chan?" Alarmed, Lucy turned to her best friend. "W-why would you say that?"

"You just seem a little frazzled, that's all. Are you worried about how we would react to you being engaged to Natsu?" she inquired. Lucy began to hesitantly respond but Levy continued, "On the phone you sounded excited for bringing your mystery man and I couldn't be happier for the two of you." Levy placed her hand on Lucy's shoulder. _Why was she being so supportive?!_ It almost made things worse.

"I guess I'm just nervous to share it."

"Why would you be nervous? We all love Natsu and honestly, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in wanting this to happen for years." Levy responded.

Lucy's chest tightened again, "I just know how over the top Igneel and Grandine can go."

Levy nodded like she finally understood, "That makes sense, but I bet they are just as, if not more, excited than we are." That's definitely true.

"So?!" Lucy and Levy whipped their heads around to face Erza and Juvia. "How did it happen?" Juvia implored. Lucy opened her mouth but nothing came out; she could see her friends waiting expectantly for the story to begin.

Lucy shook her head before responding, "I just remembered something important I needed to tell Natsu." She walked past her friends and down the porch to go out into the backyard. "I will be right back, promise!"

As soon as Lucy turned her back, the smile she wore immediately fell from her face and was quickly replaced with a scowl. This was more difficult than she thought. She lost herself in thought as her feet carried her towards the pond located near the back of the Dragneel property. As a teenager, she loved jumping the fence and walking down there to think or even just relax. She didn't realize it then, but things were so much simpler when she was in high school.

She chewed on her right thumbnail as she walked along the shoreline. Lucy was too lost in thought to hear the sounds of footsteps coming towards her.

Natsu stopped and eyed the blonde curiously. He couldn't help but giggle at her nervous tick and watched her for a moment longer before he interrupted her train of thought.

"How's my favorite fiancee?" The blonde twisted her head towards the voice to see Natsu standing there staring at her with a smirk on his face. Lucy huffed and threw here arms down to her sides with a slap. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing… I just needed time to think." She continued to pace.

Natsu quickly ran his eyes over her, "Uh huh, I see that… Having second thoughts?" he raised his brow. She turned to face him, wearing a stern look on her face. "Of course not." The blonde continued to pace before stopping to turn and face him, "What about you?"

A smile grew on his face, and not a sly or fake one but a genuine smile which surprised her. "I'm just where I want to be." Natsu uncrossed his arms and walked towards her. "I've actually been looking for you."

"For me?" she questioned as he walked right up to her.

"I have something for you," he stated as he reached into his pocket and removed a small black box. Even though she knew it was fake, her breath hitched in her throat. As almost in slow motion, Natsu opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring decorated with spirals and silver stars around the main diamond.

Lucy's body went stiff and she shook slightly. "Is that..."

"Yep," he simply stated.

"Where did you get it?" Lucy gazed with wide eyes at the pinkette before her.

"Your dad gave it to me. He wanted you to have it."

She paused for a moment. Lucy's eyes met Natsu and honestly, he was confused to see anger in hers. "I am NOT wearing my dead mother's ring!" she yelled.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Why not?!" She grabbed her head with both hands and began to pace. "First of all, it was my DEAD mother's wedding ring. As in the ring my father used to propose and marry my mother with in a profession of their love for one another. A symbol of unfailing love between two people, a promise of a lifetime and you are using it as a ploy for our lie?!"

Natsu matched her attitude, "Luce, if we're trying to convince everyone, including your dad, we are engaged, you need to wear the ring." Lucy didn't budge. "Your mom vowed with this ring to make your dad happy for the rest of his life… and nothing would make your dad happier than to see this ring on your finger." Lucy crossed her arms across her chest and released a big sigh.

"I thought you wanted to do this for your dad?" he pushed.

"I do." She answered defensively.

Natsu shook his head before responding, "Look, all you have to do is wear it for a couple of days then you can take it off."

Lucy pondered about the statement for a moment before agreeing. "Alright fine," she said as she held out her left hand.

"What are you doing?" he asked confused.

"I'm not putting it on myself." Natsu gave her a look before rolling his eyes. He removed the ring from the box but fumbled it as he went to put the box in his pocket. In the confusion, Natsu dropped the ring into the grass. He cursed under his breath as he knelt down to retrieve the ring.

…

"I can't believe this is really happening! Nalu is finally realized!" Erza cheered. The girls decided to walk over to the ice chests to grab something to drink while they waited for Lucy to return. "I don't know how many times we tried to set them up throughout the years but it seems all that work has finally paid off!"

"How do you know all of what we did influenced their getting engaged?" Levy questioned. Erza paused as if not knowing the answer. "It doesn't matter," the redhead triumphantly stated, "What matters is they are together now!"

"But why would she not say anything? To anyone… especially me?" Levy sulked, as she walked over to lean on the deck railing. Juvia walked over to her blue-haired friend and gave her a reassuring rub on her back. "I'm sure she just wanted to surprise all of us," Juvia reasoned.

"Is it me or does she seem put off by our questions?" Levy asked. Juvia and Erza paused at the statement. "What do you mean, Levy?" Erza asked.

"I mean, wouldn't you think she would be ecstatic to tell us all about it? The dates, the proposal, what the ring looks like?"

There was a pause before Juvia spoke, "Lucy does seem like the person to boast about those things."

"You're talking about the girl who posted on Facebook every time she was in a new relationship in high school." Erza reasoned.

"She did say she was nervous…" Levy added thinking out loud.

"Maybe that's why she isn't acting normal," Juvia theorized. Erza glanced up and her eyes went wide. "Guys, guys, look!" she whisper yelled as she whacked the girls with her flailing wrist.

The girls glanced up to see Natsu on one knee holding a ring out to Lucy standing before him. Erza gasped and clung onto the railing before her. Confused from her reaction, Levy and Juvia turned to see what Erza was gazing at, only to be struck themselves. "He-he's giving her the ring!" she cooed.

"And on one knee too!" Juvia added as she barely clung to the redhead's shoulder.

Natsu slid the ring onto Lucy's finger. She gazed down at it on her hand as he stood.

Levy smiled at the scene before glancing at the friends beside her. "Let's give them some time to themselves, girls" She stated as she shooed them away from the railing. "They are going to be bombarded all week so they deserve some time together." The girls agreed and walked back inside the house, not before Levy stole one last peek.

"I guess it's official," Natsu stated with a joking smile but Lucy could not look away from the ring. She always loved this ring and dreamed that one day she would have one just like it. Thinking of her mother and of the ring itself made her tear up.

Natsu's smile faded when he saw the girl cry. "What's wrong? Does it not fit?"

Lucy shook her head before responding, "No, it fits perfectly."

"Then what's wrong?" Natsu further questioned, this time with a deep concern in his voice.

"I've waited my whole life for a guy to love me so much he would give me an engagement ring, let alone my mother's ring, and well… I got it," she stared down at the diamond once more. "It's just… I didn't think this is how I would get it."

She finally looked up from the ring and met Natsu's eyes with her own watery ones. His heart broke a little to see her upset. He knew how marriage crazy she was in school… constantly sharing her ideas for color ideas and destinations for the ceremony; he knew how bad she wanted this.

He sighed but in resolve to make sure they would make it through together; he raised his arms and enveloped her in a hug. Lucy was just the perfect height to tuck her head underneath his chin. He cradled her head in his hand while his other hand wrapped around her sides. Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu's waist and clung to his shirt. She nuzzled her face into his shirt and tried to calm herself down. Somehow, Natsu had a way of calming her; his arms and scent were a huge comfort to her and after a few minutes, she was ready to return to the party.

"I'm good," she stated as she pulled away.

"Are you sure? We could stay for a few more minutes if you need." He offered but she shook her head as she wiped her eyes. "No, I'm ready."

Natsu simply smiled and held out his right hand to her, "Well, let's go then." Lucy giggled and responded by taking his outstretched hand. The two walked back up the hill towards the house, hand in hand, ready to conquer the world… or at least get through this week.


	8. Chapter 8

**So glad to hear you are all enjoying this story! I love writing it so much, I can't stop writing it! I even took my laptop to work in hopes I could work on it even just a little. **

**As always please review, I love reading each comment! I try to reply to each one as well. **

**Enjoy the newest installment! I don't own the characters but I love them in this story.**

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"I told my dad to take it easy with the celebration," Natsu commented as they continued to walk back to the house.

"Why is that? Isn't the celebration for the festival?" she inquired.

"Kinda… This barbecue is really just an excuse for our parents to brag about our engagement."

"Seriously?!" Natsu shook his head and Lucy audibly sighed. "So, I pleaded for him to keep it relatively calm and casual." The two reached the top of the hill where a large crowd had already gathered off the bottom of the deck where Igneel and Grandine stood. All the people were intently listening to Igneel's speech, which seemed to be already halfway through.

"Not only do we as a town have our history to celebrate, but we also have the blessing of celebrating a beginning…"

"Oh no," Natsu muttered.

"Where is Natsu? Where is my son?" Igneel searched through the crowd. Natsu gave a slight yank on Lucy's hand signaling they walk away. Luckily she understood and the two tried to walk along the edge of the crowd towards the side of the house.

Igneel caught sight of the pink haired boy amongst the crowd and pointed at him, "Natsu!" The boy stopped and slowly turned his head towards the deck where his father stood. "Raise your hand, son." Natsu slowly raised his free hand and gave a nervous wave.

With his hand extended, Igneel continued his announcement, "Our son has asked this lovely woman, Lucy Heartfilia, to be his wife… and she accepted!" The crowd ooed and ahed around them, most clapping but those closest to them giving encouraging pats on their back. Grandine took the opportunity to speak up, "We are so proud and honored to welcome Lucy to our family. Today, we celebrate their commitment to one another! Cheers!" she raised her glass and the crowd followed.

_So much for taking it easy_, thought Natsu. They tried to walk forward but were bombarded by many people congratulating them and asking all the usual casual wedding questions. Just as they saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and they thought they were free, Lucy was swarmed by Levy, Juvia and Erza.

"Lucy, we saw the whole thing!" Erza cried.

"It was so beautiful!" Juvia added.

Levy lightly hit the girls' arms, "I thought we weren't going to tell her!" The girls paused and looked at Levy. Her serious face slowly faded and was replaced with a joyous grin, "Oh, who cares… let me see it!" she screamed as she clutched onto Lucy's left hand.

Once Lucy lifted her hand near their face, she was met with a collective gasp. "Is that you mother's ring?" Levy asked but all Lucy could do to answer was nod.

"That's so beautiful!" Erza cried.

Natsu took the opportunity to slip away and grab a beer. He walked directly to the small blue cooler located on the side of the deck and grabbed a cool bottle from within it. He popped the cap with ease before taking a big swig of the alcoholic liquid. After he swallowed it all, he sighed and leaned back against the house.

"Trying to hide?" Natsu jerked his head to the side and saw Gray peeking around the corner of the house at him.

"What do you want, Stripper?" he tested before taking another swig.

"Is that any way to treat an old friend?" the man asked as he hoped the railing and walked towards him. "So you and Lucy, huh? How'd you manage to score her?"

"Excuse me?" he asked almost insulted.

Gray raised his beer to his mouth to take a sip, "She waaaay out of your league."

"I get it, Gray."

"If you were to score each of you on a scale, you'd be a 4 at best and she is most definitely a 10."

"Alright! I said I got it."

"She lose a bet?"

"Why can't Lucy just actually love me? You ever think of that?" Natsu asked defensively. Gray was silent for a moment before busting up laughing. _Why do I hang out with this asshole?_ Natsu crossed his arms and glared daggers at the black-haired man as Gajeel strode over with Jellal.

"Hey, Natsu!" Jellal called. Natsu turned his attention away from the laughing buffoon and to the two newcomers. "Will you please tell Icehead here its not absurd for Lucy and I to be engaged."

"Love is blind," Gajeel shrugged.

"Well obviously, Levy is dating you after all." Natsu smirked back. Gajeel immediately responded by getting into Natsu's face to yell at him. "What did you say?!"

"He suggested Levy settled for you," Gray answered. Jellal sighed as the three of his friends began to yell and fight one another. He sighed, some things never change… it's both comforting and old. "Guys, can't we just sit and talk for once? We haven't seen each other in quite some time so let's focus on catching up." No response. "Or I can get Erza?" The three immediately broke up the fight and agreed to talk peacefully.

…

"I mean it's a little early to be engaged I guess, but with Lucy's dad not doing so well, we wanted him to be able to be part of it while he is still here." Natsu told his friends as they sat around a fire pit sharing new information to catch up on one another's lives. "Plus, we've known each other our whole lives so it's like we've been dating for ten plus years." The guys nodded along.

"That's considerate, Natsu," Jellal commented.

"So… Jude is really failing, huh?" Gray thought aloud.

"Lucy said he doesn't have much time," Natsu added softly.

"But at least you guys came to have a fun weekend," Jellal uplifted.

"Yeah, we were both excited to see you guys again," Natsu commented.

"We are all going to have to spend some time together since we are all here," Gray suggested.

"I think we both would need that," Natsu smiled.

"Natsu! Natsu!" He turned in his chair to see his younger sister, Wendy, running up to him. "What's up, Wen?"

"Lucy needs your help." Alarmed, he sat up stiffly. "Why? What's wrong?"

Wendy simply pointed across the lawn to where Lucy currently was. She was sat between two older women who seemed to be in a discussion and Lucy looked miserable. "They cornered her and have been talking to her for the past hour."

With a sigh, Natsu set his bottle down and stood up. "I will see you guys later." He strode off from his friends and walked across the lawn, ignoring people trying to get his attention and strode over to Lucy.

Lucy sat with both her elbows on the table with her hands resting on top of her head. She had already had a couple glasses of champagne hoping it would help her deal with the situation. She tried to leave a while ago but her chair legs are trapped behind the legs of each of the chairs the women were sitting in; she was literally trapped but she was too timid to ask to leave.

"Men are all the same, they need to be shown love and affection, they need to remain satisfied," one woman continued.

"Absolutely, he is a man with needs and your job as the wife is to satisfy those needs, so he doesn't leave you," the other woman added.

"True, the foundation of a strong marriage is how much time you spend in the bedroom."

"Yes! He needs to be validated as a man so you…"

"Excuse me." All three women looked up to see Natsu standing over the blonde. "Do you mind if I steal my fiancé away for a moment?" Lucy stared at Natsu with tears in her eyes.

"Oh of course!" the two women scooted their chairs away from Lucy's so she could move away from the table. "Thank you ladies," Natsu commented as he took Lucy's hand and walked away.

"Thank Mavis! That was excruciating." She whispered to him as they walked away. "I was about ready to lose my mind." Natsu chuckled as he walked them towards the dance floor. "Why are we dancing?"

Natsu turned around to face her as they stepped onto the floor. "Because no one will bother us here." He pulled her towards him and the two gently swayed to the light music in the air. "People will be too busy fangirling over the fact we are dancing that they will leave us alone."

"That's actually very smart of you."

"I have some good ideas." He shrugged in pride. The two were quiet for a moment before he asked, "So what else were people saying to you?"

Lucy sighed, where to begin? "Erza and Evergreen were giving me tons of advice for planning the wedding, your mom seems to have it all planned out anyway and people are already asking me where we are registered."

Natsu chuckled, "It's weird, it seems like all these older women won't leave me alone either."

"Yeah, women have a thing for men in relationships, something about them seeing responsible and committed."

"That seems almost counter intuitive."

"Agreed." Lucy glanced around at all the people at the party; she could see people stealing glances at the two of them and others pointing and cooing at the sight of them together. Anxiety creeped up within her and she grabbed onto Natsu's sleeve for dear life. He looked down at the blonde and saw her eyes darting around the crowd and he could feel the slight shake in her arms. His eyes scanned the scene until his eyes landed on the food table.

Natsu smirked wildly, "I've got an idea." He grabbed ahold of her hand and walked the two of them towards the table. "Take this," he handed a large unopened bottle of wine to Lucy, who stood just behind him.

"What is this for?" she questioned.

"You'll see," he stated as he threw some food on a plate. Once satisfied with the amount of food, Natsu took Lucy's hand once more and directed her off towards the back of the property.

"Natsu, where are we going?" she whisper yelled.

"Here." She looked up and saw the familiar tree in front of her. The large oak tree that was almost centered on the property line between their properties when she used to live next door. It's strong branches still held the treehouse Igneel once built for them. It looked as she remembered it… for the most part. It looked run down but the sight of it welled her up with joy. She smiled wildly and ran towards the base of the tree.

Natsu chuckled as she began to climb the makeshift ladder while holding the bottle of wine. He followed close behind her just in case she lost her footing and fell. The two climbed into the treehouse and struggled to move around. "I remember this being a lot bigger," Lucy spoke aloud as she attempted to turn herself around.

"Well," he grunted as he lifted himself into the room, "We used to be a lot smaller." He sighed in relief when he finally got situated in the fort. The two young adults were too tall to be able to fully stretch out their legs, but they made do.

They sat facing one another as they shared the food and wine. They passed the bottle back and forth as they laughed about their situation.

"I can't believe she actually said that to you," Natsu laughed as he held the half empty wine bottle in his hand.

"She went on about how it was good how I was marrying now because I wouldn't be a get this 'an acceptable age' for much longer." Natsu laughed at the absurdity of what she experienced.

"I got at least 3 death threats if I mistreated you, not counting the one I received from your brother." He took another swig.

"Despite all that, I've had so many people congratulate me on our engagement." Lucy added. "I've always wondered what it would feel like to be congratulated for being in love… it feels wonderful." She smiled at Natsu but the smile faded for a moment. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Natsu chuckled and shook his head, "No, Luce, not at all."

"Well at least I know now what it's like, so I have this knowledge for future reference when I get engaged for real." Lucy reached out and took the wine bottle from Natsu before taking a swig.

"Do you remember when you and Sting tried to turn this into a guy's only treehouse?" she giggled as she took a swig from the bottle.

He chuckled, "Yeah you went up here anyway and threw us out."

"We had fun as kids huh?"

"Not just as kids, all the way up through high school was fun."

"High school was okay, I guess." Lucy shrugged.

"If you could change one thing about high school, what would it be?" Natsu asked as he took the bottle back.

Without hesitation, she answered, "Prom."

"Prom?" he was shocked.

"Prom sucked." She took the bottle back and took a big sip.

"What happened?" he asked with genuine concern.

"Well… I got asked by Bora and I said yes."

"That was that guy that had that weird tattoo above his eyebrow, right?" Natsu asked and Lucy nodded. "That guy was a womanizer."

She shrugged, "He was hot." _Cuz that makes it better_, he thought.

"Anyway, so he showed up late to pick me up then once we got there he disappeared. I found him making out with another girl in homeroom and I confronted him about it. He tried to play it off like it was no big deal then he tried to 'make up' with me." She finger quoted.

"How did I not hear about this?!" He asked as she took a sip from the bottle.

"Because I never told you."

"Why not?"

"You were having so much fun at prom and I knew if I told you after I handled it you would blow up and do something stupid."

"So what happened?"

"I kicked his ass and left."

"You left?" He regrettably stated. How did he never notice?

"Apparently he told his friends he slept with me that night…"

"WHAT?!"

"But Sting beat him enough to send him to the hospital. He ended up getting suspended the rest of the school year."

He was stunned; how did he never hear about this from anyone? And how did he not notice she had left? She noticed how sullen he looked as he looked down into his lap. She reached out and placed a hand on his leg, "Don't feel bad, Natsu. I didn't want to take away from your night."

"You're more important to me than some stupid dance," he grumbled.

"I did go to find you but you and Lisanna had just won Prom King and Queen and I didn't want to interrupt your dance."

"It's just a stupid crown, I don't even have the dumb thing anymore."

"I would have ruined your entire night," she stated sadly. It pained him even more to remember how good of a night that was. He and his girlfriend of five years won Prom royalty and later that night they spent the night together for the first time. Overall it was a great night, that was until Lisanna broke up with him the night they graduated; then the memory became a little bittersweet.

"It might have saved me from some heartbreak in the long run." Silence drifted between the two of them as they each were overwhelmed by the brooding memories of their high school lives.

"If I could do it all again, I would have just gone by myself. Maybe then I would have gotten to dance with someone."

His head shot up, "You never got to dance with anyone?" She shook her head. "Everyone had a date and I was too busy looking for Bora."

"Remind me to kick his ass if we see him here this week." He pointed at her as he tried to maneuver in the tiny space.

"I doubt we will see him here; he would be an idiot to show up." Lucy watched confused as Natsu moved to climb down the ladder. "Where are you going?"

"We are going someplace else," he stated before he jumped down to the ground.

"We?" she asked as she poked her head down the entrance to look at Natsu.

"Get down here," he motioned with his hands. With a sigh, Lucy moved her legs over to the hole and placed her feet on the first rung. "Will you catch me?" she asked as she clung to the top of the entrance.

"Always," she heard in almost a whisper. She let go of the ladder and let herself fall towards the ground. Instead of the hard impact from the ground, she was cradled by Natsu's soft arms when she landed. The two shared a smile before he let her down. He took her hand and the two ran off into the night together.

…

"Where are we?" Lucy asked as she stumbled around blindfolded.

"I told you it's a surprise," Natsu stated as he guided her through town. "Here we are," he stated but wouldn't let Lucy take off the blindfold. Lucy could hear as Natsu jingled a lock followed by the creaking of a door. He took her hand once more and lead her down a dark hallway. After what seemed like an endless maze of twists and turns, Natsu stopped her and took off her blindfold.

Lucy blinked a few times before her eyes were able to focus. She confusedly stared at the set of doors in front of her. "The old gym?" she questioned. Natsu answered with only a smile and held open the door for her. She reluctantly walked into the dark room and stood just inside the doorway. Natsu walked away from her, presumably to the breaker switch because next thing she knew, the gym was lit up by a series of strung lights across the ceiling.

She gasped at the sight; it was just as beautiful as she remembered the gym looked the last time she set foot in it for her prom. Her eyes danced over the lights and the glittery decorations which dangled from the ceiling.

Her attention shifted when she heard the faint sound of one of her favorite songs beginning to play. She turned her head towards the noise and saw a single spotlight shown in the center of the gym where Natsu stood. "May I have this dance?" he bent slightly at his waist and extended his hand towards her. She chuckled but gladly took his hand.

Natsu twirled her in a circle before bringing her back to his chest. She placed her hands on his shoulders in response to him gently placing his his hands on her waist. The two swayed softly to the music which played on his phone.

"Why is all this in here? Did you do all this?" Lucy asked.

Natsu chuckled, "I'm not this productive. I overheard my dad talking to Principal Makarov about having a get together for the alumni during the festival. I wanted to make it up to you since you said you had such a bad time at prom."

"That's not your fault, Natsu."

"I know but I can't help but think I could have done something to make it better." Lucy moved her arms from Natsu's chest to around his neck. "This makes up for it plenty; well, this and you agreeing to pretend to be my fiancé for the weekend."

Natsu smiled, "I'm happy to help."

"I honestly don't think I could do this without you. Just having you here calms me down." She tucked her head under his chin once more as she placed her head against his chest. Natsu simply held her in silence as they swayed to the music. Honestly, this was way better than his actual prom; why didn't he think of this before?

He curled his arms around her a bit tighter and rest his cheek on top of her head. Neither had felt such peace and comfort before; Natsu wished this moment could go on forever…

That was until he heard a light snore coming from Lucy. He moved his head to peer down at the blonde. Lucy's eyes were closed, and it appeared she did in fact fall asleep. He chuckled and taped her nose to rouse her from her slumber. "Luce, Luce you can't fall asleep here."

She groggily raised her head and peered at him through half-lidded eyes. She looked at him then looked at her surroundings. "Come on, let's go home." He placed an arm around her shoulders to help support them as they walked out of the gym.

…

Sometime during their trek home, Lucy could no longer hold herself up, so she jumped on Natsu's back. They used to do this all the time in high school but that was the last time he had given anyone a piggyback ride. Lucy constantly shifted between half asleep conversations and light snoring, which Natsu thought was extremely funny.

The most difficult part was trying to retrieve the keys for the apartment from his pants pocket without dropping the blonde followed by opening and shutting the door then climbing the stairs to the upstairs apartment. Natsu was able to crack the door before kicking it open with his foot. He strode over to the bed and fell backwards onto the bed, taking a moment to rest.

"Natsu~" she whined as she pushed him off of her. He chuckled before standing up and walking to the bathroom. Lucy stirred when she heard the bathroom door shut. Dazedly, she sat up and glanced around the room. Her eyes trailed over the walls, bed and onto her appearance. Why was she lying in bed still wearing her dirty sundress?

Lucy stood up and tried to pull the dress over her head but it got stuck around her rib cage. She tried pulling on the straps harder, but the dress would not budge. She began jumping around in an effort to lodge the dress free but to no avail.

Natsu walked out of the bathroom, after stripping down to just his boxers, and saw Lucy jumping around with a dress stuck to her upper torso. He chuckled, "What are you doing?"

"I'm stuck," she explained as she turned towards the sound of his voice.

"You are such a weirdo, Luce."

"Come help me!" she pleaded. With another chuckle, he set his clothes down near the bathroom door and walked over to her. "How did you do this?" Her hands motioned at the straps above her head. "I tried to pull it up but it got caught."

"Well how did you get the dress on in the first place? I don't see a zipper."

"I stepped into it and pulled it up."

He chuckled once more, "Then why would you try to pull it over your head?" He grabbed the dress and pulled it down over her head to where she had it before. Lucy tried to pull one of her arms out of the strap but couldn't move.

"It looks like your necklace got caught in the fabric," Natsu answered. "Turn around." Lucy grabbed her hair in one hand while she spun around to face away from Natsu. He carefully removed the clasp from the fabric. "There you go, you're free." He stated as she began to remove her arms from her dress.

She fully turned to face Natsu just as the dress fell to her feet. The two stared deeply into one another's eyes, shifting their gaze from one to the other. The heat between them grew and the places where his palms touched her bear sides grew hotter with each passing moment. His body seemed to lean into her's all on its own. Lucy's breath hitched in her throat as she closed her eyes and went to take a step towards the man in front of her.

Just as Lucy raised her foot, it got caught on the dress still around her feet and she stumbled forward, her face falling into Natsu's defined chest. His deep laugh rumbled from his chest tickling the side of her face. "I think you should go to sleep." He reasoned as he lifted her back onto her feet.

She noticed as she stood, the room seemed to spin. "I'm fine," she lied but she obviously was not. She went to take another step towards her bed and stumbled again. Luckily, Natsu was able to catch her so she didn't face plant into the ground. "Somehow I don't believe you," he chuckled as he picked her up in a princess carry.

He was able to hold her up with one hand as he removed the offending garment from around her ankles. He tossed the garment away from them and it landed on the floor near his own pile of clothes. Gently, he set the blonde down on top of the bed expecting to release her once she hit the mattress, but that wasn't the case. The blonde continued to hold on when Natsu tried to raise his head away.

"Lucy… Lucy, let go." Natsu tried to pull on the blonde's arms to release her grasp from his neck but she wouldn't move. Natsu knelt down on the bed in an attempt to gain some kind of leverage but the blonde still would not let go. He tried to pull away, but Lucy only drew his face in closer.

Natsu blushed when he realized the position he was in; they were both practically naked, he was straddling her, and his face was currently inches from her chest. He lifted his left leg to move off the bed but lost his balance and fell onto his back. His head hit the pillow, causing him to release a sigh.

He took a moment to lay in silence while he stared at the ceiling. He could feel his body sinking into the mattress, coaxing him into a deep sleep. His shoulders relaxed, he could feel his heart beat slow, and his eyes grow heavy. In his last conscious moments, he watched the sleeping blonde beside him. I guess this is ok… I will pay the price in the morning but for now… I'm comfortable.

Natsu let sleep take him as he pulled the blonde tighter against him. He would let tomorrow worry about itself, but for now, he was going to enjoy this peaceful moment with his fiancé.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hola! I hope you all had a great week. I've been suuuuuper busy but I had time to squeeze out another chapter... actually I wrote a 7k word chapter so I broke it into two parts haha.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you so much for all the encouragement and reviews you all have written. Thank you as well to all those who have favorited and followed this fanfic and myself as a writer. **

**Enjoy!**

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Day 3

The sound of light breathing fought through the silence permeating the room. The sunlight shone through the thin curtains illuminating the small apartment, casting a light glow across the two people who lay asleep in their bed.

Natsu laid on his back with his right leg hanging over the edge of the bed and his left intertwined with Lucy's. His left arm was wrapped around the blonde's upper torso while his right clasped her hand as it rested on his bare chest. The sheet rested just underneath Lucy's arm as she straddled half of her body on Natsu's.

The door to the apartment lightly opened and shut as Grandine stepped into the quiet space. She tiptoed through the room towards the back-bedroom area. She glanced at the pile of clothes on the floor before looking around the corner of the box wall at her son and his fiancé. She had to hold a hand up to her mouth to keep her from squealing in joy at the sight before her.

She remembered sitting on their back porch sipping tea with Layla while they watched their children run around on the lawn. Layla was her best friend; the two of them were inseparable and that was something she was proud to pass onto their children. She remembered watching Natsu and Lucy laugh and play as she talked to Layla about future plans for their wedding. It was all made in total jest but part of her always hoped it would be true. If only Layla could see them now in this moment.

Grandine walked over to the side of the bed closest to Natsu and lightly tapped on his bare shoulder. The pinkette winced at the touch and pulled the blonde closer to him in response. Grandine chuckled at her son, he was always hard to wake up but this definitely was the hardest time she has ever had.

She continued to poke around on his chest and face until he was startled awake. As soon as his eyes opened, Grandine placed a hand on his hand to comfort him. "Is everything okay?" he asked in a confused whisper. Grandine put a single finger to her mouth before pointing down. Confused, Natsu followed where she was pointing and noticed the sleeping blonde resting on his chest. He looked back up at his mother who motioned him to come out into the living area before she walked away.

Natsu watched his mom walk out of his field of view before he returned his gaze to Lucy. He slowly moved his arms up and held them in the air as he processed the events of last night. _Okay so… party then tree house then gym… what next?_ He remembered walking home, but the rest was a bit foggy. He glanced around the room for clues before his eyes landed on their pile of clothes from last night.

His eyes went wide… _please don't tell me._ He looked from Lucy to her bare shoulder to his bare chest and to the sheet covering them. He took a deep breath and held it as he lifted the cover to look down at himself. Not only was he clothes but they both were… well, kinda, but they were clothed!

His head returned to the pillow as he simultaneously released the breath he held. After reestablishing his composure, Natsu slowly slid out of bed in an effort not to wake Lucy. He couldn't help but stop to take an extra glance at the sleeping beauty before he met his mother in the living room.

"What's going on, mom?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his bare chest.

"Some of the guys cancelled last minute on your father so he needs some help to finish setting up the booths on Main Street. Gajeel is out there now but they could use another hand."

Natsu nodded in affirmation," I'll be right there, just let me get dressed." Grandine nodded and siled before she left so Natsu could change.

He strode over to the bedroom area once more since his suitcase still sat on the floor near the foot of the bed. Natsu quietly unzipped his suitcase, grabbed a pair of jeans and a tshirt before leaving to change in the bathroom. When he was done, he scribbled a note explaining his absence to Lucy and left it on the nightstand before heading out.

…

Lucy groaned when she heard the chiming of her phone from somewhere beside her. Without opening her eyes, she reached over to the bedside table and felt around for her phone. Upon finding it, she grabbed it and held it up to her ear.

"H-hello?" she answered groggily.

"Good Morning, Lu-chan!" Levy cheered.

"Levy?" she inquired as she peered open her eyes. Immediately, her eyes landed on a folded piece of paper placed on the table beside a glass of an unknown substance. "What time is it?" she asked as she maneuvered herself into a sitting position.

"It's 9:30."

Once the room stopped spinning, she grabbed the paper with her free hand and read the note.

'Luce- Drink this, it will help with the hangover. Left to help Igneel with the festival. Be back later. Your Favorite Fiancé.'

She read as she listened to her best friend on the phone, "So Gajeel left earlier to help Igneel with the festival. Apparently, some people had to drop out last minute so he is helping out."

"Natsu is there too." _Apparently._ She grabbed the glass and swished the substance around before summing up the courage to down whatever was in there. Lucy practically gagged as soon as the substance hit her tongue but she was able to keep it down.

"Cool, so what do you think about meeting me for breakfast this morning?" At the sound of the word, her stomach began to grumble. "Breakfast sounds great." She said almost hesitantly.

"Great! So I will see you in a half hour at the usual spot!" Levy said her goodbye before hanging up on the blonde. Lucy sat in the bed in bewilderment; her head felt cloudy and her body ached. She definitely drank too much last night… but what happened last night? She remembered being with Natsu at the party then in the treehouse and then at the high school. After that, she has bits and pieces but she doesn't think too much of it.

She gets up to start her day and is caught off guard when she realizes she is only wearing her undergarments. _That's weird_, she thought. She walked into the bathroom to get ready and took notice of herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed from a night of drinking, her eyes were still a little red and watery, her hair was messed up but other than that she looked fine.

Lucy took a quick shower, changed, did her makeup and set out on her way to meet Levy. As she walked out the door, she noticed she was already starting to feel a bit better.

…

She walked down main street, taking the time to wave at people as she passed. While waving to the florist, something shiny on her left hand caught her eye. She slowly brought her hand down to her face and saw her mother's ring resting on her finger. It wasn't something she was used to and honestly, she wasn't sure how she really felt about wearing it.

With a confused sigh, she brought her hand down to her side and strode on towards the diner. Once she got to Mira's, her and Levy's favorite place to eat, she walked straight in and looked for Levy. "Lu-chan!" Lucy turned her head towards the voice and saw Levy sitting in their booth waving wildly. She couldn't help but smile at her absurd friend as she walked over to their booth.

"Good morning, Lu-chan!" Lucy smiled and returned the greeting with a warm smile. "Morning." She simply responded as she sat down in the booth across from the blunette.

"How are you doing today?" Levy asked.

"I need coffee." Lucy deadpanned. Levy chuckled as she waved a waitress over. "Rough night?" Levy asked as the waitress set the items down on the front of the table and poured a cup for Lucy.

"You have no idea," she muttered just before she took a sip of her hot coffee.

Levy smirked, "You disappeared last night." Lucy looked up from her cup and gave Levy a confused look. "Last time I saw you, you were sneaking off with Natsu." Lucy audibly groaned and set her cup down on the table. Levy leaned in closer, "So what were you up to?"

She was tired of trying to argue. "Levy, what Natsu and I do in our own time is between us." She grunted.

"I get it, Lu-chan, you don't kiss and tell," Levy winked as she held a finger up to her lips. Lucy sighed and hung her head; her friend was so absurd. The waitress returned and took their orders.

"So you never did tell me how you two got together." Lucy tried so hard not to spit out her coffee that she ended up choking on it and started coughing. "Or even how he proposed." Lucy grabbed her napkin to cover her mouth as she coughed. Levy leaned on the table and rested her face in her hand, "I always knew you two would end up together."

Finally recovering from her coughing fit, Lucy replied, "Why would you think that?"

Levy shrugged, "It's the classic best friends to lovers scenario."

"Levy, we aren't some made up characters you can pair in some fanfiction. We are real people."

"Real people who REALLY love each other." Lucy groaned again and shook her head. "You two are perfect for one another and I'm glad you two finally noticed it."

Before Lucy could reply, a waitress walked up with their food. "Here you are ladies!" she cheered as she set the plates of hot food down in front of each of them. "Thank you, Bisca!" Levy cheered.

"Oh my goodness, Bisca! It's so good to see you!" Lucy stated.

"You too, Lucy. And I couldn't help but overhear the news… Congrats on the engagement!"

Lucy's smile faltered slightly, "Oh… thank you."

"If you don't mind me saying, Levy has a point."

"Bisca!" Lucy yelled defensively, drawing the attention of the few people within the diner.

"What? I'm just saying the whole 'friends to lovers' trope isn't all that farfetched. That's exactly what happened to Alzac and I."

_That's right_, Lucy thought. _Bisca and Alzac were best friends since middle school and everyone something more between them but the two were in denial for the longest time._ She remembered how she and the girls would tease Bisca about them and plan their wedding. She also recalled how happy everyone was when Bisca and Alzac finally got together at their Junior Prom. Then the joy of seeing them win Prom King and Queen the following year (her Junior prom since she was a grade below them in school).

Lucy barely listened as Bisca and Levy droned on about the course of her relationship with Alzac: friends, lovers, marriage and now they were raising their child together. She glanced out the window and glanced over all the foot traffic in town. With the festival starting up, many people were hard at work.

Her eyes fell on the back of a familiar head of pink hair. She watched as he grabbed a nail, rested it in his mouth between his lips, as he climbed the ladder before him with a hammer in hand. Once a top the ladder, he removed the nail, placed it on the corner of the banner and began hammering the fabric in place. She couldn't help but chuckle when he missed the nail and struck his thumb causing him to rage and even fall off the ladder.

Lucy continued to watch as Gajeel began laughing at Natsu, who in turn stood up and began yelling back at the pierced man. The two then started physically fighting with one another and Igneel had to run over to break them apart.

Levy and Bisca didn't notice Lucy's inattentiveness to the conversation but continued to plan the event they brought up a few minutes ago. "So where should we go for girls' night?" Levy asked.

"There are a few good shop that opened up in the town over." Bisca pointed over her shoulder.

"Oh yeah! I heard Heart Kruz just opened a store near here."

"Yep and they have wedding dresses there too," Bisca blinked.

"That sounds fun, although I would assume Lucy would wear her mother's dress."

"So then just try them on! It can be a pre-bachelorette party."

"Yes! I will message Grandine and Wendy to come too." Levy glanced down at her cellphone as she typed a quick message to the girls. "I will pick you up here after your shift."

"Sounds good." Bisca finally turned her attention to the blonde, who was still looking at the chaos across the street. Bisca followed Lucy's gaze, smiled then looked back at the blonde. "See you tonight, Lucy." Stunned by hearing her name, Lucy turned and was confused to see the green haired girl walk away.

"I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention," the blonde admitted as she began eating her food.

Levy chuckled, "It's okay, Lu-chan. Bisca and I were just making plans."

"So what's going on between you and Gajeel?" Levy blushed and dropped her fork, causing a loud sound when it impacted the plate.

"W-why do you ask?"

"Well we've only talked about Natsu and I so far this week and I would like to hear about your relationship." Lucy smiled. Knowing her friend would not drop the topic, she sighed and began sharing stories of her world wind romance with Gajeel.

…

Lucy and Levy walked up to the register after eating to pay for their meal. Levy paid as her 'congrats' present on Lucy's engagement, much to Lucy's dismay. Levy provided her card to the cashier, who began processing her information for payment. As Lucy was watching the process, she couldn't help but wonder if Natsu had eaten this morning.

Just as the cashier handed the card and receipt back to Levy, she asked, "Is it possible to order food to go?" The cashier simply shook her head up and down and handed her a menu. "Still hungry?" Levy asked.

Without looking up from the menu, Lucy answered, "No, it's Natsu. He didn't get to eat this morning since we slept in so late."

"AWWW!" Lucy looked up from the menu to give her friend a disapproving glare before looking back down. "Did you decide on what you wanted?" the cashier asked. Lucy nodded and returned the menu. "I will take a Bacon English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich with hot sauce on the side, a cup of fresh fruit and a large black coffee."

"It will be just a few minutes." The cashier noted as Lucy handed her card over to be processed. When the cashier was down and Lucy had signed the necessary receipts, the cashier walked away to watch over Lucy's order.

"That's so sweet of you to give your future hubby breakfast," Levy cooed.

"You and I both know how he gets when he doesn't eat, and I can't imagine how that's playing into him and Gajeel working together." Levy's face quickly turned from a happy smile to a seriously worried look. "I never thought about that…" she murmured to herself.

"I'll be surprised if they haven't killed each other by now." Levy nodded in agreement, just as another employee walked forward with Lucy's order.

The two girls left the restaurant and walked down Main St to their right in an attempt to find Natsu and Gajeel. Lucy was impressed that they actually made progress in the hour and a half she was eating with Levy. The streetlights were each decorated with a unique banner listing the name of a local business. Each storefront window was also decorated to display the festival logo. The girls continued to walk down the street until they reached Magnolia Park where different vendors were preparing their booths for tomorrow.

Amongst the crowd and makeshift stands, Lucy caught a glimpse of pink hair. Apologizing wildly, Lucy and Levy wound through the people until they reached the two guys (who were still arguing).

"We are not using red," Gajeel complained.

"Red catches the eye better than black does," Natsu argued.

Sensing another argument about to unfold, Igneel cut in, "The sign is already made, guys. Just use the blue piece of paper its on."

"BLUE?!" Natsu and Gajeel whined in unison.

"Hey, guys!" Levy called, causing all three men to turn their heads towards them. Lucy's breath hitched in her throat a little when Natsu's eyes locked with her own; why was she reacting like this?! She quickly turned her attention to Igneel as he walked up behind the boys, "Thank Mavis you two are here; these two have been at each other's throats since we started this morning."

"But it looks like you got a lot accomplished," Lucy encouraged.

"I would have gotten more done if Natsu hadn't gotten in my way," Gajeel grunted.

Natsu whipped his head around to angrily stare at his partner, "Excuse me?! I did all the work! You were too busy staring at Levy through the diner window!" Both Levy and Gajeel immediately blushed.

"Anyway," Igneel interrupted, "These two are done; the vendors can handle their own booths themselves."

"So we are free to go then?" Natsu clarified.

"Get out!" Igneel shouted as he pointed away from his location. Before matters could get worse, Levy and Lucy grabbed Gajeel and Natsu and began walking towards town.

"Oh, by the way, Natsu," Lucy began, drawing his attention to the girl beside him, "I got you some breakfast." She held up the small bag and coffee to the pinkette.

"Is this Mira's?!" Natsu asked wildly as he peered into the bag. Lucy responded by nodding her head up and down. She squealed when Natsu wrapped her in a bear hug and squeezed her tight, "You are the best fiancé ever!"

"Ugh! Get a room you two!" Gajeel disgustingly stated.

Natsu didn't fully release the blonde, but instead kept a single arm around her neck, "We have our own apartment, thank you very much! So at least we can have some privacy unlike the two of you."

Insulted, Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest, "Why would you need privacy, Salamander?" Lucy never understood that nickname, something from their football days.

Natsu responded by winking and saying, "Some things shouldn't be said in public."

Lucy's eyes went wide and a blush rushed over her face. "Natsu!" she shouted as she hit him in the chest but the pinkette simply laughed. "You better eat that sandwich before I shove it down your throat."

"Speaking of privacy…" Levy began, causing Gajeel and Lucy to look at the small girl, "We have something we need to discuss." Levy looked directly at Gajeel, but he looked back at her with an empty gaze. "What?" the pierced male responded. Levy obviously didn't like that reaction because she responded with a disappointed glare. "We have to talk about something IN PRIVATE." Levy mumbled the last bit. Finally understanding what Levy was implying, Gajeel's eyes went wide and he shook his head in agreement. Levy grabbed Gajeel's hand and as the two began walking away, Levy commented, "See you tonight, Lu-chan!"

Lucy waved in response. "What are you guys doing tonight?" Natsu asked.

"No clue," Lucy deadpanned as she returned her head to her side. "I wasn't really paying attention during her conversation with Bisca."

"It's not like you to be scatter brained, especially when you're with Levy," he commented as he took a sip from his coffee cup.

She glanced at him then quickly looked away, "I had something on my mind."

"Care to talk about it?" he asked as he stared down at his sandwich, trying to find the perfect place to take the first bite.

"About what?"

"About what's on your mind." He repeated this time with a mouthful of food.

She shook her head and smiled at him, "Nothing new, just feeling a bit overwhelmed by this week."

"I get that."

…

The two of them walked around a bit before returning to the Dragneel residence. They were in the middle of a funny story when Natsu held open the front door for them to enter. "Lucy!" The two dropped their smiles and turned towards the voice. Lucy turned to see Grandine sitting in the living room beside Wendy and Levy on the couches.

"Hey… were we supposed to be doing something?" Lucy asked, still confused. Grandine stood, walked over to Lucy, took her hand and drug her over to the other girls. "We are going shopping tonight," Grandine smiled wildly as the other two girls joined in.

"Shopping?" Wendy and Levy only responded with affirmative nods. "I don't need anything though." But Lucy was quickly waved off. "It's just a fun night with us girls." Lucy didn't know why but she was weary of the situation. "Just bonding between us girls," Levy added.

"Just girls, which means no Natsus allowed," Wendy clarified as she glared at her brother.

"Well what am I supposed to do then?" Natsu asked defensively.

"Whatever you want but you can't come with us," Grandine stated as she moved Lucy forward by pushing her from behind. Wendy and Levy followed behind as they walked towards the front door. "Don't wait up, Natsu!" Wendy called as she shut the front door behind the group. Natsu stood silent and alone in the massive living room, left to wonder what just happened and contemplate the remainder of his night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for all the kind words of encouragement and support. It's been a rough time in my life lately... so much has happened :( but I hope if you are going through some rough times, this story will bring a smile and a little light to your life.**

**As always, I appreciate all the reviews and I try to reply to every single one. Please let me know what you think! This one is a bit exciting!**

* * *

Lucy sat uncomfortable in the back seat between Levy and Bisca and was quiet as everyone in the car discussed future plans. Lucy didn't know what was happening or where she was going, and it unsettled her. "Here we are!" Grandine called as she pulled into a parking spot.

All the girls exited the car and took in the sights around them. They were at the shopping market along a plaza in the center of town. Lucy could see various shops which sold clothing, jewelry, candles and even food. "Hey girls!" Lucy turned to see Erza and Juvia standing outside one of the stores on the strip.

"Hey!" Levy and Bisca called back as they walked towards the girls to embrace them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Lucy asked as she reciprocated their hugs.

"Did you really think we would miss girls' night?!" Erza questioned and all the other girls laughed (except Lucy who was still confused). She followed the girls as they stopped in each store, some buying things but most just looking for fun. Just as Lucy was starting to warm up to the fact they were just having 'fun,' they all 'coincidentally' walked towards Heart Kruz. "Look guys! They just opened this up!" Bisca commented.

Lucy's eyes trailed down the shop's sign to the store front window where a mannequin wore a stunningly beautiful wedding dress. Her eyes went wide as she realized what the night was for. "No," she began, causing all heads to turn. "I'm not going in there."

"It's just for fun, Lu-chan."

"Uh huh sure it is," Lucy spoke disbelieving her best friend's statement. "I'm not going in there to play dress up!"

…

_Why am I doing this_… she mentally sighed. Somehow, the girls got Lucy into the store and told the employees she was engaged. The employees responded by shoving a magazine in her face which displayed all their new model dresses and styles. Lucy tried to turn them away by telling them she wanted to wear her mother's dress for her wedding and save the money she would have spent on the honeymoon; however, the girls insisted to do it 'for fun.'

So here she was now, standing alone in a changing area surrounded by wedding dresses. Each girl in her party picked out their favorite and then the employees grabbed a couple for her to try. She sighed again, this time her shoulders slumping, and she hung her head. How deep would she dig this hole?

Her eyes scanned over each of the dresses and then to the curtain which stood between her and the rest of her group. "Why am I doing this again?" she called out.

"Just for fun, Lu-chan." I already heard that excuse.

"We just want a sneak peek of your big day!" Grandine added. Well that's never going to happen. She sighed again and glanced at the dresses. "If I have to do this, I'm only putting one on." She reasoned but the group whined. "I already told you guys I don't need a new dress!" She could hear whispering from behind the curtain but couldn't really tell what was being said. "Okay, Lu-chan… just one is fine. We need to make our dinner reservation anyway."

Lucy silently threw her fist in the air in victory…_ now, which one will work?_ Her eyes scanned the dresses one last time but fell onto one dress in particular. The dress was a snow-white tulle dress which reminded her of a princess' ball gown. It has a V-neck and was decorated with a beaded lace corset and an embroidered beaded lace design from the bottom of the dress and worked towards the bodice. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Part of her yelled not to even think about it… but the other part told her she had to but it was just an excuse to mask her excitement and want to try it on. Lucy stripped her shirt and jeans before stepping into the dress. She pulled in up from around her legs to her waist then placed her arms into the straps to pull it onto her shoulders.

It seemed to glide flawlessly across her skin and fit perfectly around her curves. Her hands rested on the dress near her waist as she took in the view of herself in the gown. The length would be perfect if she were wearing heels and the neckline was perfect to display a necklace.

She always hoped and dreamed for her wedding day as a little girl, but as she grew older it seemed more and more out of reach. Here she was, dressed in the most beautiful wedding gown she's ever seen, and she doesn't even get to use it. The dress mocked her just as much as it inspired her.

With a deep breath, she clutched the curtain and moved it aside to take a step out to show her friends. There was a collective gasp followed by a moment of silent awe from the group. Lucy gave a weak smile as she stepped up onto the viewing platform. "Lucy… you look beautiful," Wendy managed to get out. The blonde looked over to see the faces of the friends she brought with her.

Levy and Erza were both crying and holding one another, Juvia was clutching her chest and Grandine suddenly took a picture. "Grandine!" she called out.

"What? You look so beautiful I couldn't help myself."

"Can I get out of this now?" But she was met with a collective no. They wanted her to spin around, walk forward and back in a line and take some pictures before she changed. Just for a moment, she really felt like she was getting married… and she loved every bit of it.

…

Natsu typed away at his laptop as he sat alone in the restaurant. He decided to use his free time to take the chance to apply for better jobs. He was refining his resume and creating different CRs for each position he applied to. He found a couple available jobs in the city he was living in but honestly, he found better ones and a lot more in the town Lucy lived in. Maybe it would help him to move, especially to a city closer to a friend.

If there was anything good to be gleamed from this trip so far, it was that he missed spending time with Lucy. The two of them had so much fun together and despite their time apart, it was like nothing changed between them.

As he was staring at his screen, he didn't notice the white-haired girl walk over to him. "Can I sit?" Natsu looked up to see a smiling Lisanna standing over him near the opposite side of the table. "Uh… yeah sure." Almost immediately, the girl sat down.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she leaned forward to peer over his screen.

"Just applying for jobs," he answered without breaking eye contact with his laptop.

"Your current job not doing it for you?"

"Nah, temp jobs aren't for me. I'm looking for something a bit more permanent and reliable."

"Speaking of which," Lisanna began as she slowly closed the screen on Natsu's hands. "You never told me you were engaged."

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "We were trying to keep it quiet but my mom kinda blew that out of the water."

"She seems proud."

"Yeah," he sighed and Lisanna definitely caught onto the tone.

"Much prouder than when we were dating," Lisanna pouted.

"Why do you say that?" Natsu inquired.

"Well… I feel like your mom tolerated me, almost like she never really liked me."

"No, she liked you."

"Not as much as Lucy," she deadpanned. _Well… she did have a point._

"Lucy was always just a friend," he added.

"Not anymore," she spat back. _Crap!_ He almost forgot.

"Distance didn't matter to her," he snapped back; he felt they needed to clear the air between what happened with them but at the same time he felt it was behind them.

"But you're here now…" Natsu didn't seem to notice the comment and angrily went back to his work. _Just let it be_, he told himself,_ focus on your work._

Lisanna seemed to notice his frustration. "What's wrong?" she asked as she set her hand onto his.

"Don't worry about it, I don't want to trouble you." He tried to wave him off.

"Natsu," she began, "we used to date, it's no trouble at all." _I guess she had a point?_

He sighed before he began, "Life is just kinda difficult, ya know? My job leaves something to be desired as well as my social life. I just feel like I'm floating through life right now…"

"Floating?"

"Yeah… like there is nothing to account for in my life in the time I have been away. Plus considering who my parents are, I feel like I should be the President by now, ya know?"

"Yes, your parents are prominent figures in the town, but they aren't demanding."

"I know but they always act so proud of me… I'm afraid I will disappoint them."

"I'm sure that's not possible," Lisanna assured.

"Nothing in my life right now is worth wile." Natsu stared down at the table but Lisanna's face changed from a concerned one to a sly smile. _It sounds like he needs a little tlc._

She rubbed his arm with his hand before standing up and leaning towards him. She leaned in such a way that her chest was a few inches from Natsu's nose. Lisanna seductively whispered, "If you ever need a distraction, you know where to find me." She strode over to the door, making sure to sway her hips even more than usual. Before she exited the restaurant, she turned to wink at Natsu over her shoulder. Once she left, Natsu was left at his table wondering what just happened and why Lisanna acted so weird.

…

Lucy enjoyed dinner with the girls much more than shopping with them. She was able to reminisce and joke with the girls without feeling weird at all. The best part was when each of the girls joked about the men in their life. Bisca shared the story about how Alzac passed out when she had their daughter, and Erza jokingly added Jellal looked like he almost did for their first child. Levy shared how her and Gajeel were happy with their dating relationship and the news they were moving in together. Juvia pretty much confirmed Gruvia was a thing even though Gray had never officially asked her out. He invited her on a camping trip near the ocean and they hooked up; she fully expected him to ask her, but she was content enough just being with him. Wendy had just gotten her first boyfriend a week before the festival and she begged Lucy not to say anything in fear Natsu would find poor Romeo and put the fear of Mavis into him.

Of course, the main talk of the night was Lucy's wedding plans. The girls asked about colors, locations, bridesmaids, meal, etc. Lucy was able to end that topic quickly when she assured them, they would have plenty of time to plan since they just got engaged.

"For now, we just want to enjoy the engagement before we start getting in over our heads with all the planning." She further explained.

"That's true," Grandine began, "Natsu's father and I were engaged for more than a year before we had our ceremony."

"Not us," Bisca commented.

"Well that's because you had a shotgun wedding," Levy joked.

"We did not!" Bisca yelled as she nudged Levy's shoulder, "Asuka was just… a premature blessing, which propelled us to have a ceremony sooner rather than later."

"Did you decide where you wanted to live?" Wendy asked.

Pressured and unknown what exactly to say, Lucy responded, "Not yet… We were waiting until after the trip to discuss everything." _Maybe that will buy them some time_? "I'm just so excited to finally have a sister." Wendy cooed as she wrapped her hands around Lucy's arm and rested her chin on it. "And I'm even more happy its you, Lucy." The other girls couldn't help but audibly aww at the sight.

She and Wendy had always been close; so much so Wendy was a little sister to her. They had sleepovers, would talk about boys, do one another's hair, support each other at extra curriculars and more. The two always shared a special bond…_ what would she say if she found out?_

"So, Lucy…" Erza began, "When did you know Natsu was 'the one?'" She asked as she air-quoted the last words.

"Was it when you two first slept together?" Levy smirked.

Lucy chuckled, not just at the truthful response to the answer but because Levy made it seem realistic that she would ever 'sleep' with Natsu. "Please, Levy-chan, the first time we slept together was when we were 4 years old."

"Speaking of which," Grandine began as she reached down under the table to pull out a small bag, "I got you a present." Lucy stared at the bag as Grandine placed it on the table in front of her. "A present? What for?"

"Just to say welcome to the family," Grandine smirked. Skeptical, Lucy began removing the tissue paper from the bag to reveal the item. Confused when she looked in, Lucy reached her hand in and pulled out the item. She held it up to see it was a maid lingerie outfit complete with two cuff bracelets, a headband and black stiletto heels. Embarrassed, she shoved it back into the bag. "Grandine?! Why would you give me this?!"

"You'll be a married woman soon, Lucy; you both need to have a little fun," she winked following her statement. "After all, it seems you did last night." Lucy's face turned red and her jaw dropped open, while the other girls hooped and hollered. "Whoa, Lucy!" Erza chanted.

"Ow! Ow!" Bisca cheered.

"Get it gurl," Levy added.

"It's not like that guys," Lucy argued.

"You two snuck out together and arrived late the next morning," Juvia reasoned.

"Plus I saw your clothes in a pile near the bed and the two of you were spooing naked this morning when I woke Natsu up," Grandine justified. Lucy blushed wildly again and the girls increased their squealing. _Were we really doing that?! Why was he in the bed with me?! Well I guess it was me in bed with him since he was sleeping there before… not the point! I guess based on everything they saw the facts do lean towards that._

Lucy sighed; she knew there was no point in arguing with these people. She could try to justify the truth all she wanted but she knew nothing would sway them.

"So, when was it, Lucy?" Lucy stopped her train of thought to look at the blue-haired teen beside her. "When did you first realize you loved Natsu?"

Lucy thought to herself… _what to say?_ "I guess… I realized that I've always loved him. He was my only friend growing up for a while until I met you all but he continued to support me and encourage me my whole life. No matter what happened, he was always there to hold my hand when I hit my lowest point and celebrate with me at the high points. He is all in one my strength, security and happiness. I couldn't imagine life without him." She glanced back at the group and was shocked to see them all on the verge of tears. "That was beautiful, Lu-chan," Levy whimpered.

"That is what true love sounds like," Erza added. Yep, exactly, true love…

…

Lucy opened the apartment door, quickly went inside and shut the door behind her. After a sigh, she walked into the apartment and searched for another inside. "Natsu?" She looked around but didn't see anyone. "Natsu, are you here?" Silence met her.

She shrugged and threw the bag containing her 'gift' across the room towards her suitcase. Finally concluding she was alone in the apartment, Lucy decided she needed a nice long soak in the bathtub. She usually did this when she was stressed and if any day she needed one, this was it.

Lucy stripped down to nothing and went into the bathroom. It only took her a few minutes to pre heat the water, fill the tub and slip into it. She released a relaxing sigh as the water came up to her chin. Just what she needed, a few moments of peace to herself where she could put life and pause and relax. She tilted her head back on the tub pillow and lost herself in the serenity of the moment.

Natsu was shocked when the door was unlocked to the apartment; _didn't they usually keep it locked when no one was home? Whatever._ He walked over to the futon and placed his laptop on the living room table. He laid back on the futon and covered his eyes with his let forearm.

His moment alone wasn't much of a success really. He applied for a couple jobs, but he didn't feel too good about the possibilities of getting called back. He didn't get as many applications in as he wanted as well because Lisanna interrupted him. It was nice to see her and talk for a moment… he never imagined they could do that again but there was something comforting knowing they could.

Natsu began to sway his right hand back and forth but was confused when his hand struck something. He glanced over as he lifted his hand and saw a pink lace piece of underwear was stuck on his pinkie. Natsu immediately stood up and, in a panic, started to shake his hand around in an attempt to fling the item off. After a few moments of struggling, he succeeded.

The garment flew off his hand and landed on the floor a few feet away from him. Natsu looked down at the ground next to the futon and was shocked to see a pile of clothes there. They weren't just any clothed, but the ones Lucy was wearing today. Confused, Natsu began looking around the apartment. "Luce?" he called out but received no reply. He strode over to the bathroom door and noticed it was closed; however, instead of knocking (like any normal human being), Natsu opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, Lucy and Natsu locked eyes and for just a moment neither reacted. Once it sunk in that Lucy was naked in clear water and Natsu was standing in front of her, both blushed harder than they ever had in their lives. Lucy screamed and covered herself just as Natsu slammed the door shut. "S-sorry! I didn't know you were in there!" Natsu called out from the outside of the door.

"Then you should have knocked!"

"Yeah… that would have been smart sorry!" He rubbed the back of his neck for the second time tonight. Natsu decided it would be best for him to sit down on the futon, which would be the perfect distance away from the restroom. All he could do was stare down at the ground and picture the mental image he had of Lucy in the bath. Why was his heart beating so fast?!

He snapped out of it when he heard the click of the bathroom door open. He started to turn his head towards the sound, but was quickly stopped but a loud yelling, "Don't turn around!" Natsu immediately stopped and faced forward. "I didn't bring any clothes in, so I need to come out and get them, so… don't look."

Natsu glanced down at the floor to see Lucy's suitcase lying mere inches away from where he sat. "You do realize your suitcase is right next to me right?"

"Yes, so look away!" Natsu half chuckled and half sighed before obeying the blonde's command and turned his head towards the opposite wall. Lucy gave it a few moments before she was confident he was not looking at her.

She clenched the small bath towel around her frame as she tip toed over to her suitcase. Once she reached the luggage, she glanced at the pinkette just to make sure once more he was not looking. She must have stared a little too long because Natsu commented, "Are you gonna grab your clothes or what?" Flustered, she knelt down and began riffling through her belongings to find her pajamas.

As she riffled through the bag, Natsu spoke up once more, "Why did you not bring in a change of clothes with you?"

"Because I thought you wouldn't be back so soon." She found all the necessary items then returned to the bathroom to change. She changed quickly and dried her hair before exiting the bathroom. She tried to keep calm and control her embarrassment as much as she could as she sat own on the far opposite end of the futon as Natsu. "So how was ladies' night?" Natsu asked, implying he figured the night was excruciating.

She shrugged, "It was okay I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well…" she noticed how odd it was that she was already comfortable with him again and not at all embarrassed anymore, "They took me shopping but it was all just a ruse to get me to put on a wedding dress."

"That sounds fun," Natsu spoke, dripping with sarcasm.

"It was oddly fulfilling and gut wrenching."

He tipped his head to the side, "Makes sense. I mean not the right circumstances in getting it, like the ring."_ Exactly!_

"What about you?" Lucy asked but Natsu just looked at her confused. "What did you do tonight?"

He shrugged, "Oh ya know, took myself to dinner and spent the night applying for jobs."

"Nothing exciting?" she pressed.

He was silent for a moment, "I saw Lisanna." She didn't know why but that statement made her heart sink.

"You went to dinner together?"

"We sorta bumped into one another."

"W-what did she say?" she hesitantly asked.

Natsu shrugged again, "We talked about life, jobs, our history together…"

Lucy looked down at her hands as she fiddled with the ring on her finger. Natsu didn't bother to fill the silence so she spoke up, "Do you miss her?" The question didn't pain her as much as the impending answer did. "Kinda?" "Jab number 1. "I mean… she was the only serious relationship I've ever had. I miss having that person to lean on and spend time with; someone to encourage me and have fun with. I miss the companionship." He really did but honestly, this pretend relationship with Lucy was stirring up something within him. He knew now he missed her and more than he thought he did; he missed her smile, her laugh, her sarcastic tone… but he discovered her missed her presence in his life most of all. Yet… there was something else to it he hadn't discovered yet. Natsu was hopeful for what the rest of the week would uncover… Lucy, however, was not.

Lucy began to seethe in her seat;_ why was he so nonchalant about his dinner with Lisanna?! Just say you went on a date!_ She saw the number on the cup, the way she looked at him still… something was still there so why is he hiding it?

"You know, Natsu," she began, "We aren't actually engaged… or even dating for that matter."

"I know that," he answered in a 'I already knew that' tone.

"So you can do whatever you want." Natsu just sat and looked at her oddly. "What?"

"If you wanna date Lisanna, just do it already!" She didn't think it would come out as aggressive as she thought it would. So many emotions flooded her system… she was simultaneously sad, angry, confused and depressed._ How did this happen?_

"Luce?" he began to clarify but she stood up in a panic.

"I'm going to bed, goodnight!" she yelled before trudging over to the bed and throwing herself under the covers. She wrapped the edge of the blanket around her face and faced the wall, hoping she wouldn't have to see his face again before she went to sleep. Natsu seemed to grant her wish because a few moments after she went to bed, the lights in the room turned off and she heard the creaking of the springs on the futon.

She laid awake with her eyes wide open, thoughts running rampant in her head. They seemed to have no sense of direction, yet they all stumbled upon the same conclusion. _There was no way that could be it! _She denied the thoughts and thumbed through them again by playing different scenarios in her head. No matter what possibilities she tried to reason with herself, the conclusion was the same. If that ending was true, she knew she was in big trouble from here on out. As if this week and situation weren't stressful enough, she had to go and add another issue to the mix. She realized something that would change the course of this week… her life: Lucy Heartfilia was in love with Natsu Dragneel.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! I'm surprised I didn't get as many remarks about the last chapter as I thought I would. Oh well! I still hope you enjoyed it and that you enjoy this chapter! **

**Things are gonna get intense! Hang in there, you guys are in for a treat!**

**Please review and comment! Let me know what you think!**

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Day 4

She wrinkled her nose as she took in the smell of pancakes floating through the room. Still half-asleep, she rolled over towards the smell and took a whiff… eggs and pancakes. She sighed in pleasure at the smell... it was warm and familiar. Her mother used to make her that breakfast every Saturday morning; she would switch up the types of pancakes, but they were always delicious.

The smell worked its way to her stomach and it yearned to have the delectable food she smelt. She opened her eyes and was confused for a moment. In her mind she pictured herself lying in her bed at the Heartfilia Manor but she was in a completely different room. She sat up, still staring at the box wall in front of her in confusion and let her surroundings sink in. It took a couple moments for her to fully wake up and she remembered where she was… and who she was with.

Lucy peered through the boxes to try to catch a glimpse of who was in the kitchen but due to the angle of the wall, she couldn't see anything. She knew she would have to get up and face him eventually so she took another couple moments to settle herself before she officially got up. _Okay, Lucy, you're just overwhelmed with everything that's happening. You don't really love Natsu you're just playing into the part… yeah! That's got to be it. No feelings more than friendship._ She smiled and felt better after re-centering herself.

She pulled the covers off of her and slipped out of bed. She noticed the cold hit her legs and feet as soon as she touched the floor. Lucy wore an oversized sweatshirt with short shorts underneath, but it looked like she wasn't wearing anything on her lower half. Lucy stepped forward and peered around the makeshift wall… what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. A shirtless Natsu was standing at the stove cooking breakfast.

The act alone took her by surprise; Natsu wasn't one to cook because he was notorious for burning it. The smell filling the small apartment was so pleasant it couldn't possibly be from Natsu's cooking. Second, she had seen Natsu shirtless so many times before and it never caused her to react like this but for some reason… she couldn't help but let her eyes roam over every inch of his toned arms, chest and back. She got down to his abs when an alarm sounded in her mind. _What are you doing, Lucy?! Friends don't oogle at each other!_

Stunned, she tried to step backwards into the bedroom area but in the process, her shoulder bumped the box wall and caused part of it to come crashing down. Her eyes went wide as she looked down and the pile of fallen boxes and then raised her eyes to meet the shirtless pinkette now staring at her. "Good Morning!" he called with the biggest brightest smile she had ever seen. She couldn't help but to shudder at the sight of it. "Do you want some breakfast?" he asked as he lifted the pan to show her a pancake he was currently cooking.

"You are cooking?" she said incredulously. He nodded as he turned his head back to the items on the stove. "I had to at least learn how to cook some basic things since I am living on my own. I can't afford to eat out all the time so I picked up a few tricks, pancakes and eggs being one of them." He finished the pancake, turned around to face the small card table and put the pancake on the plate sitting there. Lucy looked down at the table and saw it was set for two and the food was already proportioned for them both (obviously Natsu's plate the one with the bigger portion). "Go ahead and sit."

She eyed him and the food wearily as she slowly walked over to the table and sat down in front of her plate. The food did look really good and her stomach sure was delighted to eat it, but she was just worried about the cook's history. She watched as Natsu sat down and began stuffing his face with food. Her stomach seemed to use that as encouragement for her to eat the food but then again, Natsu would eat pretty much anything (as long as it's not cold). Lucy decided to take a chance and take a bite. Her eyes went wide and Natsu seemed to notice. He swallowed his mouthful of food before speaking, "So…?"

She too swallowed before answering, "Natsu… this is really good." The boy smiled wildly again in pride.

"I told you I got better." The two continued to eat in silence, just the sound of their forks hitting the porcelain plates could be heard in the room. She kept glancing from her plate up at Natsu all the while she tried to be sneaky about it (but Natsu noticed).

"You okay, Luce?" He paused to speak. Lucy sighed and set her fork down on her plate. "I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. I'm overwhelmed with this trip and my dad and with dealing with people that I took it all out on you (_liar_)… sorry."

"I get it, Luce, it's a lot to handle." Lucy felt some relieved, she was glad he wasn't mad at her but rather understanding to her cause. She was shocked when his mood suddenly changed to a serious tone. "Listen, Luce…" She gulped, _what was he gonna say?!_

"I didn't come on this trip with any kind of intention to reconnect with Lisanna." _Why did he bring her up?!_ "She seems to think because I'm here, we can just pick up where we left off but I'm tired of living in the past." She wasn't sure if she should feel hopeful at this point or hopeless. "I want to stop skating by in life and make things that will last… to commit to something." He looked up from the table and met her eyes with his confident stare. "Committing to this relationship helped me see that, as odd as that sounds."

"I'm happy to help," she nervously chuckled. Natsu reached out and rested his hand on top of hers. Her body went stiff and she stared down at their hands. Her gaze snapped back to his eyes when he said her name, "Luce, I just want you to know I have no intention of getting back together with Lisanna." She wasn't sure how to react; _why was he saying this? Why was he so direct about it? Why did this matter? Why was she so happy to hear it?_ "Okay?" was all she could muster in response.

Natsu stood and grabbed both of their plates to drop them in the sink. "I just wanted you to know I wasn't going to jeopardize our story this week." He turned around to face her again, "That's why you said that last night right? Because you were afraid we would be found out?" It clicked in her head… he was just covering for her AGAIN. "Oh yeah…" she nervously and nonchalantly tried to cover her hurt, "I was totally worried about that. Phew we can make it through the week." She followed it up with a panicky grin.

"Well now that that's settled, go get dressed, we're going to the festival!"

…

Lucy was excited to see the different booths at the festival, but honestly, she was still a bit on edge after trying to understand her feelings as well as their conversation this morning. She decided she was just going to put her worries aside and have fun with Natsu at the festival.

The two walked among the various booths trying all the different food items, looking at all the hand-crafted items, trying out the multitude of products and even playing some of the carnival style games. She giggled when Natsu was forcibly removed from the flavored jalapeno stand since he kept eating all the samples. Lucy found some bath salts which smelt like cherry blossoms, so she decided to get a couple batches.

Natsu and Lucy walked down the aisle of stalls, both glancing at what each one sold. Lucy's eyes landed on a stall where a little old lady sat in front of a table of jewelry. She couldn't help but notice the intricate designs behind all the earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

"Hey, Luce, did you see…" Natsu turned around to see the blonde wasn't right behind him like he thought but rather she was two stall lengths back staring at a table. He walked up behind her, looked at her and followed her gaze to the table. He noticed the jewelry style and knew immediately why she was staring. He looked back at her, "Do you want to look?" She snapped out of her staring and turned to look at Natsu. "No, it's okay… just lost in thought."

"No, let's look." He grabbed her hair and drug her over to the table. Upon closer look, the jewelry was even more beautiful close up. Her eyes scanned over the various crafted metal creations until her eyes settled on a pair of dangle earrings. On each earring there were four strings of gold metal link each ending with a gold star; it reminded her of shooting stars.

Lucy's mother used to tell her that shooting stars were souls being released from their earthly form to find peace and ascend to heaven. She used to be amazed and joyful for all those who were no longer in pain and got to go to heaven; so, when her mother passed away suddenly, shooting stars were a painful reminder of loss. Natsu helped her see differently.

She remembered not being able to stomach being in the church's auditorium as her family members gave speeches about her mother and how she was a great person. Lucy left and sat outside the church on a bench and stared up at the stars. Looking up at the night sky made her feel small and oh so alone; she used to welcome the night but now it left an emptiness within her. Natsu found her and sat down beside her; the two were quiet were a while before Natsu spoke up, "Look, Luce, a shooting star." Her chest tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut as hard as she could so the tears wouldn't come out.

Sensing her plight, he continued, "Your mom once told me shooting stars were souls going to heaven. Souls of ones we have lost to death, but not lost to us forever…" Lucy perked her head up a bit; _what was he talking about?_ "Your mother may no longer be with you here, but now she is in heaven watching over you. She can be with you everywhere at once now, watching over you from above." Lucy looked at Natsu, tears now falling from her eyes and running down her cheeks. He looked back at her with a warm smile, "Every time you see a shooting star, think of it as your mother sending her love down to you… her message to you letting her know she sees you and is watching over you." Just like that, all her walls came crashing down. She threw herself into Natsu's open arms and wept; the two were there for hours, neither saying anything after that.

Natsu followed Lucy's gaze to the earrings and then back to the girl. He mouthed to the old woman, "How much?" as he pointed at the earrings. The woman held up ten fingers and Natsu nodded; he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and removed ten dollars to hand to the woman.

Lucy saw Natsu's hand move in and out of her vision. Confused, she glanced over at the woman, but she simply smiled back at the blonde. Not getting any answers from her, Lucy turned back to Natsu who now held up the earrings in front of her face. "Here," he stated simply, as he placed the earrings in her hands. She looked at him, then down to the earrings then back up at him. "Why?"

"Does a man need a good reason to buy his girlfriend beautiful jewelry?" the woman asked.

Natsu poked his head out from around Lucy, "Actually, she is my fiancée." Lucy glanced over at the woman who responded by giving her a very wide grin. "He's definitely a keeper." Natsu motioned Lucy away from the booth as he waved goodbye to the woman.

"Why did you get these for me?" Lucy asked.

"You seemed interested in them."

Lucy chuckled, "But that doesn't mean you need to get me everything I show a slight interest in."

He shrugged, "I figured it reminded you of your mother, that's why you were interested." Lucy sopped dead in her tracks; _he remembered?!_

Natsu glanced over his shoulder and stopped when he saw her standing a few feet behind him. "What's with that look, weirdo? We've got more festival to see so stop standing around!" Lucy smiled and ran up to his side.

…

Natsu and Lucy walked around a corner and nearly bumped in Ms. Spetzo and her father. "We've been looking everywhere for you," Jude stated.

"Oh?" Lucy asked in dread.

"We wanted to have lunch with you," the caretaker smiled.

Natsu leaned in to whisper into Lucy's ear, "That doesn't sound so bad."

"Actually, we wanted to have lunch with both of you," Jude clarified.

Lucy leaned back over to Natsu, "You were saying." Ms. Spetzo wheeled Jude past the two and pulled on Natsu's arm as she walked by.

Within a few minutes, Natsu and Lucy found themselves sitting across from Jude and Ms. Speztzo in Mira's diner. Honestly, they were expecting some kind of 'if you hurt my daughter' talk but were surprised when Jude began speaking of pleasantries. They awkwardly played along, knowing there was another topic in mind.

After the group was done with dinner, Jude sighed heavily, signaling the real conversation was about to unfold. He pulled out a folder from under the table and slid it over to Lucy; "What's this?" she asked.

"That is all the information concerning what is left of the Heartfilia Estate and my last will and testament." Lucy stopped thumbing through the volumes of paper before her. "Your w-what?" Lucy shakingly stated.

"I wanted Natsu to be present seeing as he will soon be a part of the family; however, since you two are not officially married yet, Lucy is listed as the primary on the will." Lucy just stared with wide eyes at the paper in her hands; suddenly, the weight of the paper became heavy in her hands. Noticing her inability to speak, Natsu did so on her behalf, "Jude…"

"Please call me dad," he interrupted.

Natsu sighed, this what so not the time, "Dad… why isn't Sting here to hear all this?"

"I've already had a conversation with him about the estate. He is already settled with his own home and family but you two are beginning a life of your own, you need something to stand on. That's why… I want you to sell the house, the office and the items in the safes to pay for your wedding and a down payment on a house for the two of you."

"Dad…" Lucy whispered.

"It's okay, Lucy, your brother has already agreed to this. I also wanted to go over my burial options." Lucy slammed her hands down on the table, causing everyone in the restaurant to stop and stare at her. Jude leaned forward and whispered at his daughter, "Lucy, you're causing a scene."

"Why are you doing this now?!" she whispered in a harsh tone.

"Because I want to make sure you are taken care of after I'm gone."

"But why not wait until after the festival?!"

"Lucy, we need to discuss this." Jude replied harshly.

"Not right now… I can't do this." Lucy stood up in a hurry and rushed out of the diner. She ran past some incoming customers as she ran down the front steps and down the street. She heard someone calling her name, but she didn't want to stop. It wasn't until a strong hand grabbed a hold of her elbow that she turned to see who was there. Through her teary eyes, she saw Natsu standing before her with a worried look on his face. As soon as she made eye contact with him, she dropped to her knees.

"Luce?..." He crouched down so he could be on her level. "I can't do this, Natsu."

"Can't do what?" he wanted her to clarify.

"This…" she waved her hand around. "I can't deal with him like this."

"He only wants the best for you, Luce," he softly replied.

"And here I am making a mockery of him."

"You aren't mocking anything."

"What do you call what we are doing?!"

Natsu took a deep breath in and out before responding, "Do you love your father?"

Confused, but interested to where Natsu was going, she answered, "Yes."

"Do you want him to be happy?" She sighed in understanding. "Yes."

"Then you aren't doing anything wrong. You want the best for him just as much as he wants it for you." Why did he make so mush sense? "Just remember, you don't have to do this alone. Just lean on me." He pulled her in and held her until she felt strong enough to stand (with his help that is).


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello all my lovely readers! We are getting close to the end but don't worry, things are only starting to heat up. What's gonna happen in this chapter... well, read and find out ;) **

**Let me know what you think. I will reply to all comments. Love you all!**

* * *

"So why did you tell me to dress up if we were just gonna have a night in?" Lucy asked as she walked out of the bathroom attaching her new earring to her ear.

"I have my reasons," he gave her a wicked smile. She always knew when he was up to something. Coincidentally, a knock at the door sounded. Natsu gave her a look before walking over to the door and opening it to let it the unknown guest. Lucy could hear Levy, Juvia and Gray before they stepped past the threshold.

"Hey, guys!"

"You ready to go, Lu-chan?" Lucy looked to Natsu for answers, but he simply smiled back at her. "Go where?"

"You didn't tell her?!" Gray asked as he looked at Natsu.

The pinkette shrugged, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"What are you guys talking about?" The group all looked towards her but only Juvia spoke up. "Natsu said you needed a night out so all of us are going to hang out at the boathouse like we used to in high school!" Stunned at her friends' compassion towards her, she mustered all the energy she could to smile and not cry.

Levy, Juvia and Gray all started to walk out of the apartment and down the stairs to the front door. "You set this up?" she asked as she grabbed her jacket and walked towards Natsu.

"You looked like you could use a little fun," he winked as he threw his arm around her shoulders. The two walked out of the apartment and down the stairs to join their friends. After locking up, the five proceeded to walk through town towards the lake. Levy and Juvia dropped back to talk to Lucy so Natsu wandered over to join Gray. "Are you okay, Lu-chan?" Lucy gave a small smile and nodded her head. "Yeah… just stuff with my dad. I knew he wasn't doing well but he was so serious when he told me about the will and…" Each of the girls held one of Lucy's hands.

"I'm sorry, Lucy." Juvia spoke.

"Death is a part if life, unfortunately… I always knew I would lose him someday, but I didn't think it would be so soon."

"Well, at least you won't be alone, you have Natsu." The three glanced at the pinkette walking a few feet in front of them. He was actually smiling and laughing about something with Gray. Lucy smiled and spoke just loud enough for the girls to barely hear her, "Yeah, I do have Natsu."

The group walked the rest of the way making small talk until they reached the lake. They walked along the pathway near the edge of the lake to the dimly lit boathouse. Natsu and Gray reached the door first and began knocking at the door. A portion of the door slid away to expose Sting's eyes glaring back at Natsu's. "What's the password?" he mocked.

"Seriously?" Natsu mocked back.

"Sting, just let us in," Gray remarked.

"You could at least say please," he grunted as he opened the door to let the group in. They all walked in single file with Lucy at the back; Sting stopped her before she could fully enter the structure. "How you holding up?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Lucy shrugged, "Did Dad talk to you?"

"Yeah… he told me he wanted to leave things to you."

"And Natsu… but you agreed to it." She said almost in disbelief.

"He left things to you right now, not Natsu; and it would be enough for you to buy your own house and get out of that crappy apartment."

Lucy placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward to get into her brother's face, "Excuse me! I'll have you know I was able to get that with my own money."

"And I'm proud or whatever but that doesn't mean it still isn't poor living conditions."

"Hey," Natsu placed his arms around both of the blondes' shoulders and pulled them close to him. "We are here to have a good time free of adulthood distractions, not to argue. So let's settle this tomorrow morning, shall we?"

"Come on everyone, let's all sit down," Erza called from inside the building. Lucy and Natsu walked into the structure with Sting following behind. Lucy walked into the room to see the small space filled with her high school friends: Jellal, Erza, Juvia, Gray, Levy, Gajeel, and Yukino.

"So what is new with everyone?" Levy asked. Lucy rolled her eyes, not the awkward catch up routine. "Well, we just had our second child," Sting began. The group collectively awed in response. "And she is with Grandine tonight, thank Mavis." Yukino added.

"We love our child, don't get us wrong, but having some time to ourselves is few and far between." Sting explained.

"It's weird not having a child constantly attached to my chest," the white-haired girl added as she held up her empty hands near her chest.

"I'm super grateful for that," Sting added as he leaned in towards his wife's face to kiss her.

"Ugh, get a room!" Natsu called from across the circle and Sting just glared back.

"What about you Levy-chan?" Lucy asked, diverting attention to another group in the room.

"Well…" Levy began as she looked over at her pierced boyfriend. "Gajeel and I just celebrated our four year anniversary."

"There gonna be another wedding in our future?" Jellal asked as he glanced at Lucy and Natsu then back to Levy and Gajeel.

Lucy remembered when Levy first hooked up with Gajeel. The two girls were bridesmaids at Erza's wedding, and the group all hung out together, kinda like they were now, the night of. She noticed how Gajeel and Levy were getting really close that night; they were sitting away from the group in close proximity to one another and constantly giggling to one another.

Levy was supposed to meet her for brunch the next morning but never showed up. Instead, she rushed into Lucy's hotel room sometime in the late afternoon wearing a baggy, oversized shirt (which she could only believe was Gajeel's). She and Lucy spent the next couple hours talking about what happened between the two of them the night before. The two were in a weird, extra friendly state for a while after but Gajeel finally came to his sense and asked her out.

"I am happy with where we are right now," Levy stated with a peaceful contentment. Lucy figured there was more to it than that but she let it be.

"I understand where you're coming from, Yukino," Erza commented from beside Yukino. "It's hard having little ones running around because you can't do your normal activities."

"How many kids do you have now?" Juvia asked.

"Three," Jellal smiled as he glanced over at Erza. Lucy looked at her friends with a confused look. She remembered the two but what about the last one? "Three?" Gray seemed to voice her confusion.

"Simon, Kagura," Jellal listed before placing his hand on Erza's stomach, "And a little one on the way." The group's faces lit up at the news followed by many congratulations.

"Ugh, my mom has been pushing me for years to have kids," Natsu groaned.

"I'm just surprised you found someone willing to have kids with your ass," Gray snarkily replied.

"Gray!" Natsu and Lucy both shouted.

"You have no room to talk, Ice Head." Natsu added.

"Excuse me?!" he sat up to stare at his friend.

"Your parents are just as on your ass about kids as mine, but you're just scared." Natsu didn't hold back.

"W-what?!"

"If you would just grow some balls and ask Juvia to marry you this would all go away," he added. Juvia and Gray's jaws both dropped and some of the others with drinks spit out the sips they had in their mouths.

"We aren't even dating!" Gray defended.

"Oh, please." Natsu rolled his eyes as he spoke, "You guys have practically been dating since high school." The room was silent for a bit; no one wanted to admit Natsu was right or had any sense of truth but… they were all thinking it.

"Alright, what do you all say we play a little game?!" Gajeel awkwardly broke the even more awkward silence. He nodded towards his blue-haired girlfriend who then began distributing drinks to people (ginger ale to Yukino and Erza).

"So what are we playing?" Lucy played along.

"Kings of course!" Levy cheered as she smiled at her blonde best friend.

"Kings? What are we in high school?" Natsu snarked.

"High school never ends," Gray toasted as he glared at his friend before taking a gulp from the solo cup.

"Don't drink it yet!" Levy whined at Gray. "Save it for the game!"

"So does everyone remember how to play?" Gajeel asked as Levy sat down beside him.

"How could we forget? You two insist we play it every time we get together," Jellal chuckled.

"We all pick a stick from the cup. They are each labeled with a number or a crown," Erza added.

"Whoever picks the crown is the king and sets the rules for the game," Sting finished.

"Anything else?" Yukino chuckled back.

"No, that's it," Levy deadpanned.

"Let's get it started then!" Gajeel cheered. Gajeel swirled the cup he held in his hand, causing the sticks to swirl around in the cup as well. Everyone reached in and grabbed a stick; Lucy came away with 4 and Yukino was king (er queen). "Alright, we will start it off with a simple request. 2 sit on 5's lap." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief; she always hated this game but she could never bring herself to say anything to Levy. "I'm 5," Gajeel stated in his rough voice.

Levy sighed, "I'm 2." The group giggled as Levy begrudgingly climbed into her boyfriend's lap. "Round two!" Sting chuckled as he collected the sticks then held out the cup for others to choose again. Gray ended up with the king stick, "No mercy here, 3 kiss 5." The whole group went through what their sticks said and no one seemed to come up with either number. All that who was left was Natsu and Sting.

The two looked down at their sticks then up at each other. "Shit…" they both said aloud, to which the whole room chuckled. "Wow, cheating on Lucy right in front of her eyes." Gray taunted and Natsu glared back. Natsu turned to look at the blonde male who obviously didn't want to do this as much as Natsu did. "He didn't specify how it had to be done," Sting clarified. Too quick for anyone to pull out a camera, Sting grabbed the pinkette's head and kissed his cheek.

Natsu disgustingly rubbed his cheek as the sticks were reset. He was still rubbing when the cup was handed to him. He begrudgingly took a stick but cheered up when he saw the crown drawn on the stick he picked. "Yosh! Read it and weep suckers!" he cheered as he threw down the stick on the floor. Everyone started groaning; Natsu sometimes went a bit extreme when he was in charge. "I decree 6 and 2 to spend 7 minutes in heaven together." Most everyone sighed in relief when they realized their numbers weren't called.

"I'm 2," Gray sighed in defeat. Lucy couldn't help but notice the sly smile and glare Natsu sent Gray's way. "YES!" Juvia screamed as she threw herself onto Gray. "Juvia is 6!" Lucy chuckled at the blunette; she talked in third person when she was excited and she got REALLY excited when it came to Gray. "Seriously?!" Gray whined.

"You heard the king's orders," Jellal sassed back as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Get out there killer!" Natsu called as Gray slowly stood, taking Juvia's hand is his own before walking out the boathouse with the lovestruck girl in tow. As soon as the door shut behind them, Yukino spoke up, "Someone set a timer." Erza held up her phone signaling she was on it.

"How long do you think they will be out there?" Lucy whispered to Natsu.

"Oh, they will be out there all night," Natsu whispered back to her. "Who's next?" he spoke up as he leaned away from his fake fiancé. The group redistributed the sticks and Lucy came up with number 4… always a bridesmaid.

"Okay, I'm king!" Gajeel cheered. "Number 4… truth or dare?"

"Ooh I like this!" Levy egged on.

Lucy gulped. Gajeel was like Natsu when it came to being king, waaay over the top. She figured she would go with the safer option. "Truth?" The group all turned its head towards her in anticipation of the question and her answer. Her shoulders sank when she saw the horrible look in Gajeel's eyes.

"Tell us about your first time." Her jaw dropped open, WHAT?! "I-I'm not answering that; my brother is in here," she paused before remembering who she was sitting next to, "a-and my future fiancé."

"It's okay, Luce." She whipped her head over look at Natsu. "I get that you have been with other guys before me and that's fine." She glared at him and he responded by giving her a confused glance.

"See he is fine with it!" Gajeel cheered.

Sting slowly rose his hand from his slouched position, "I'm not."

"Then get out cuz it's an order." Sting did not like the response and slouched even further. Yukino chuckled at her husband and rubbed his shoulder. Lucy sent Levy a glance signaling a plea for help. Levy caught on and understood what Lucy was implying; she leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder to whisper into his ear, "Maybe you can change the request?"

Gajeel laughed, "Pft, no! An order is an order." Levy gave a sorry glance to Lucy. The blonde sighed to gain her composure before she began. "College was a bit… difficult for me. I didn't have many friends to start out with so I joined a few different clubs. One of the clubs I joined was the Theatre Club where I met Larcade." _Larcade, that's an interesting name_, Natsu thought. He glanced over at Lucy and was surprised to see such a sad look on her face. He glanced over the crowd and stopped on Levy who wore the same expression. His own expression started to falter in response… _maybe this wasn't the best story to share._

"He was really friendly and welcoming to me, he invited me to sit with him at lunch and hang out with his friends, and he was always there to help me out when I needed him. He was popular at the school and because I hung out with him, I was accepted there; I felt like I belonged.

I'm not much of an actor so I worked backstage. Larcade invited me to the cast party the night after the closing show. He had it at his apartment and it was honestly the first time I had fun in a while."

"Get on with it," Gajeel began but was quickly met with a slap to the chest by his girlfriend.

"He invited me up to his room and we had sex. There you happy?" Lucy deadpanned as she glared at Gajeel.

"That's it?" He asked not hiding how upset he was.

"No... unless you want to hear about how he bet his senior buddies he could get me to sleep with him in the first semester then dumped me and used his popularity to ridicule me until it became too much for me to bear and I switched schools." The group was silent and at a loss for how to react; that changed quickly.

Natsu was stunned; he knew Lucy changed schools but never knew why. He thought it was odd since she had been dreaming about going to that college her whole life… her parents met there. Lucy leaving a prestigious college, one she worked so hard to get to, and go to some small private school set off a red flag but she seemed to dodge the topic every time he asked about it.

_And to think it was all because of some douchebag… How could he do that?!_ "That son of a bitch did that?!" Sting yelled. "What was his name? I'm gonna find him and rip his throat out!" Yukino pulled Sting back down to his seat after he stood up in a rage.

"Don't worry about it, Sting. He showed me what love isn't, but I was so desperate for approval I didn't think twice about who was giving it. I made the decision to protect who I loved from that moment on… to only give my heart to people who proved worthy and true of my love."

"And Natsu stole your heart?" Erza cooed as she brought the group mentality back up from its abysmal crash with that tale. The group awed as they glanced back and forth between the engaged couple. Natsu did what he could and reached out his hand to take Lucy's. She glanced over at him, almost shocked at the gesture and he gave her a small, reassuring smile. Lucy had no clue why, but the gestures seemed to calm her; she squeezed his hand back to give him the same feeling of reassurance she felt.

"Well… who's next?" she asked to change the subject once more. Just then, Erza's phone went off, signaling the end of Gray and Juvia's time in 'heaven.' Jellal stood up and walked over to the window to attempt to locate the couple banished from the boathouse. Natsu could see Jellal's eyes scan the outdoor scenery until they came upon something that made his eyes bulge. He quickly turned around to face the group, "I think they won't be joining us for the rest of the evening."

"Told ya so," Natsu whispered to Lucy as Jellal took his seat. The group continued their game; shockingly, Gray and Juvia joined the group after an hour but they came back extremely disheveled. Gray glared at Natsu when the pinkette gave him an eyebrow waggle as the two took their seats once more.

Yukino took first pick of the sticks and grinned wildly when she saw the crown in her hand. She kept it a secret as she held out the cup for others to choose their numbers. She watched as the others in the circle picked a stick, paying especially close attention to the numbers a certain 'engaged' couple selected.

Once everyone had chosen their sticks and discovered their numbers, Yukino announced her title. "Guess who is king again?" She chuckled evilly as she glanced towards the two she had in mind. "My decree is… numbers 5 and 1 to kiss."

"We did this already," Gajeel whined.

"This time it has to be lip contact and kept for as long as I say."

"So who is up?" Gray asked as he threw his stick down.

Natsu pointed his stick at Yukino's face, "You are just out for me, aren't you?"

"Why is that, Natsu?" she tilted her head and smirked at him, an evil glint in her eye. "Are you 1 or 5?" Natsu could tell by her tone she was just toying with him and he didn't appreciate it. "I'm 5." He angrily sighed.

"Who is 1?" Levy asked.

Lucy sighed before slowly lifting her stick to reveal her number to the group, "I'm 1." All heads turned towards the couple; Levy and Erza's faces particularly lighting up in joy for the moment before them. "Aww! We get to see a preview of the happy couple!" Juvia cooed.

Natsu sat back in his chair and looked over at Lucy as the rest of the group went on about how they make the cutest couple. "It's just a game, Luce," he whispered to her. What? This or our relationship? She thought. "So you want to just play along?" she whispered back.

"It's not like we're gonna die or anything," he reasoned back.

"So are you gonna kiss her or not?" Gray yelled. Lucy and Natsu turned their heads to glare at their friend. "Why are you doing this?" Sting angrily whispered to his wife beside him.

"I have my reasons… besides, it's not like they haven't done this before." She smirked as she turned to face the group again.

"They WHAT?!" he yelled.

"Okay, okay, everyone shut up." Natsu calmed the crowd. Once he had their attention, he turned towards Yukino. "This is on you." Yukino nodded her head for them to proceed.

Natsu gently placed his right hand on Lucy's left cheek to draw her to him. As he came closer to her face, she closed her eyes in anticipation. Her mind started racing in the few seconds she had in this moment. She remembered being so nervous about her first kiss… she was asked to the dance by a guy a grade older than her. She panicked so much Natsu offered to help her deal with whatever was wrong no matter what. He was honestly stunned when she asked him to kiss her.

"What if I mess up and hit his teeth? Or-or I don't tilt my head enough?" Lucy panicked as she paced in her bedroom with Natsu sitting on the bed. He lounged on her bed as he watched her spiral. "Luce, you're overthinking this. Everything is gonna be fine."

"You can't say that. I could embarrass myself!"

"Don't focus on that."

"I need to practice!" She paused before looking right at him. He didn't seem to follow her train of thought and gave her a confused look.

"Kiss me!" she yelled as she jumped onto the bed beside him. Perturbed, Natsu quickly climbed off the bed and stood at the foot of it. "What?! Luce, what are you saying?!"

She stood up and grabbed his hands, "I want to make sure I don't completely embarrass myself if Bora decides to kiss me! So help me practice!" She started to lean in to kiss him but he held up his hand to catch her face. "Luce, you'll be fine. Besides, if I kiss you now, wouldn't I be taking your first kiss and not him?"

She paused before responding, "I guess so… Oh well!" She started to lean in again but he stopped her once more. "I thought you were the one that wanted it to be some big special moment between you and the guy you like."

"Well, yeah… but I don't want to take the chance to mess it up."

"I've never known you to mess anything up." She smiled back at her best friend. "Thanks, Natsu… But I cant guarantee my moment with Bora will be special. I do know that every moment I spend with you is special and you're my best friend, what better guy can I get?" He was stunned, she would really throw away her princess moment to be with him? She seemed certain and he never doubted her. "Are you sure about this?" he asked but she nodded her head excitedly. Caving in, he took a deep breath in before kissing her.

Lucy's breath hitched in her throat as she felt his soft lips on her own. Her body slowly melted into the familiar heat radiating off his body. She exhaled the sudden breath she held in her chest in bliss.

The others in the group gave mixed reactions of awws and groans of annoyance (mostly between the girls and boys respectively).Sting grunted in anger and his shoulders tensed at the sight before him. Yukino chuckled and placed her hand on her husband's arm to calm him. "You can stop this anytime now…" he heavily implied.

"I know," she smirked back which he didn't seem to appreciate. "They seem to be enjoying themselves."

"If they enjoy themselves anymore, I'm going to take out my growing frustration on Natsu's face."

She chuckled once more at her husband before announcing to the group, "Alright, time's up. I relinquish my throne." Natsu and Lucy slowly broke away from one another; their lips parting but their hold on each other still strong. The group started collecting and redistributing the sticks once more… but their voices blended into the background.

Lucy still tried to gain her composure; she didn't want to appear stunned by what just happened, after all that should be a normal occurrence for them as an engaged couple. What stunned her was her reaction to the kiss. She had been kissed before but she hadn't felt such a calming and blissful sensation from being kissed since… well, since she had her first kiss.

She took a glance at Natsu to see how he was holding up. He sat quietly and kept to himself which was unlike him; his eyes stared straight forward and held intently on the cup in the center. He sat with his left hand covering his mouth and he leaned forward into his hand.

"Lucy… Lucy." She snapped out of being lost in her thoughts and turned to her right to see Juvia holding out the cup of sticks to her. She grabbed one before taking the cup and handing it to Natsu. Without looking down at the cup, he grabbed a stick but not the cup. Lucy had to lean over Natsu to pass it along.

"I'm king!" Levy cheered. She glanced around the group and stopped on a still contemplative Natsu. She was able to make out the number on his stick, so she decided to pick on him once more. "Number 3, truth or dare." The group looked around to find out who was number 3. No one seemed to react so they all glanced at Natsu, who was still oblivious to the game.

"Natsu," she began as she lightly touched his arm. He jumped wildly at the sudden touch and turned towards her with wide eyes. "Are you 3?" He looked down at his stick and saw he was in fact 3. He held it up for the group to see rather than simply answering verbally.

"Truth or dare?" Levy repeated.

"Uh… truth?" Interesting, Lucy thought, Natsu was usually one for dares since he never backed down from a challenge. Seeming to be the answer Levy wanted to hear, she smiled confidently and leaned back in her seat. "Do you love Lucy?" she asked, in a serious tone.

Lucy was confused by the question, as was a couple others were in the group. _Love typically accompanies an engagement so it should be a given… why was she asking?_ Sting and Yukino seemed particularly interested in Natsu's answer. Lucy looked to the man next to her and anxiously waited for his reply. He looked back at her with a look just as serious as Levy's awaiting gaze. He took a moment to stare at her before replying, "Yes." Natsu maintained his serious demeanor while Levy genuinely smiled at the pinkette. "Good," she simply replied. "I step down."

Lucy didn't understand the exchange, but no one seemed to think anything of what happened, so she just went along with it. The two stayed for a few hours before all the couples headed to their respective beds.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Not only do I have a new chapter for you but boy, do I have something in store for you!**

**A big chapter guys (not in length... sorry), but please enjoy. Please review and tell me what you think. I know you guys have been waiting for this for a while!**

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Natsu unlocked the door and held it open for Lucy as she entered the apartment. She trudged over to the oversized chair near the futon and fell to the cushion with a huff. Natsu followed close behind and threw himself down onto the futon. He sighed a bit in relief as he slipped his shoes off of his feet. He glanced over at the blonde and was happy to see such a big smile on her face.

"You look like you had fun," he commented.

She smiled before she shook her head, "I had a lot of fun. Actually…" she began as she willed herself to sit up, "I can't remember the last time I had fun." She smiled once more at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you, Natsu; I needed tonight."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

She spoke as she took her heels off as well. "Stuff with my dad just… overwhelmed me and I didn't know what to do."

"That's what I'm here for," he winked as he pointed at himself. The two were silent for a moment before Natsu began again, "I'm sorry this week didn't turn out like you planned."

"To be honest, I didn't have any kind of expectation this week. It always seemed like it was going to be rough… honestly though, you've made it better. Thank you."

"Same here; I was dreading having to face my parents. They're somewhat off my case now thanks to you. Funny how parents are like that."

"Speaking of your mother…" she began. Natsu looked at her and noticed her nervous response so he sat up. "What did she do now?" he asked, obviously annoyed.

"She thinks we slept together last night." Lucy stated nervously, afraid of his reaction.

"Ugh… yeah, I know," he deadpanned.

"You know?!"

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, she came by the other day to wake me up to help my dad. She saw the state of the apartment and us in bed and put two and two together I guess."

"Well her guess was wrong," Lucy defended. Her face faltered a bit, "She seemed so proud though."

"Ugh! She is so weird."

"She seems to approve of me," she thought aloud.

Natsu shrugged, "Well, of course she does; who wouldn't?" She stared at him in disbelief. "You're a catch; any guy would be lucky to have you." He smiled at her with a warm grin before realizing her stunned yet embarrassed face. Upon realizing what he just said, his smile dropped and was replaced with a blush.

"She, uh, got me something for the occasion," Lucy began.

"What occasion?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"For us; with yesterday?" Her inflection made it clear what she was hinting at. "Oh yeah?"

She nodded, "Do you want to see it?"

"Uhh… sure?" She searched through the room before her eyes landed on the bag she threw aside the night before. Natsu didn't know why but she seemed excited to wear the outfit, whatever it was. Lucy grabbed the bag and retreated into the bathroom.

Lucy reached into the bag and pulled out all the items: the dress, two white stockings, a pair of black pumps, two wrist cuffs, and a doily headband. She laid everything out in the bathroom and began undressing.

Natsu laid back on the futon with an arm tucked under his head and stared up at the ceiling. He watched the blades of the ceiling fan spin rapidly, drawing him into his mind to get lost in his thoughts. Growing up with Grandine and Igneel as your parents was not an easy task. He always felt like his family was at a sprinting pace and he had to keep up; the only time he ever had to slow down and be himself was when he was with his friends, namely Lucy.

Even though her head was in space, she kept him grounded. He always felt accepted and like he could be himself around her. Her imagination was always so wild and creative; she dreamed big and he knew she could achieve it… but she made him feel like he could too. Not that he HAD too but because he WANTED to. Her passion made him want to have a passion in life, not just to live it but to experience life.

She gave him a fire, a fire he had long since forgot since high school. Without her by his side, he dwindled and faded. He tried to get back to that feeling but nothing he did seemed to work. This trip was going to be his low point; he didn't want to move back home but it seemed like his only viable option. Being around Lucy made him feel better about himself, made him experience life again. He felt like his old self and others saw it too. He felt more energized, more capable… he was getting to the place where he felt like the man his parents could be proud of.

He felt more like himself around Lucy… like he could conquer the world with her. Maybe this trip was a step in the right direction, in more ways than one. He didn't have much tying him to where he lived anyway; maybe a change of scenery was in order?

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the click of the bathroom door. Natsu sat back up in his spot and threw his legs forward over the edge of the futon. He turned his head and couldn't help but drop his jaw at the sight before him.

Lucy walked out of the bathroom and around to the front of the futon. Natsu's eyes widened as they trailed over her whole body and his head moved as she did. Her legs somehow looked longer in the stockings and pumps. The corset she wore on her torso clung to her curves and sprouted a fanned waist with frills to make the skirt poof out. Her chest was barely contained by the corset; appearing as if one tiny yank from the string would cause her to fall out.

Her hair hung down to lay gently over her bare shoulders and frame her face. The headband she wore swept her hair away from her face, showing off her bright smile. She looked beautiful and to top it off, the outfit looked like a maid's uniform (he didn't know why but he has always had a thing for maids… even creepier to know his mother chose this outfit).

She gave a small spin before facing him once more, "What do you think?" He was honestly speechless… _choose your words carefully_, he warned himself. His eyes roamed once more over her frame; his body was stiff and his chest ached from holding in the breath he had. His eyes met hers once more; he was desperately searching for words in her eyes but instead was met with something he didn't know how to interpret. His eyes flickered to the top of her head onto her headband and noticed it was crooked.

Relaxing a moment to point at the headband, Natsu spoke up, "Y-your headband is crooked." Lucy tried to look up at the headband but couldn't see it because of where it was on her head. Natsu smirked at her absurdity, before motioning her closer. "Come here, I will fix it." Lucy walked forward so she was standing over his legs right in front of him as he sat on the futon. She bent forward at the waist so her face was even with his.

It was odd how nervous she was and how her chest tightened with every inch she grew closer to him. As she slowly bent towards him, the two maintained eye contact the entire time. She stopped just a few inches away from his face and propped herself up by placing her arms on the back of the futon. Natsu was trapped between her arms but it didn't make him feel uncomfortable at all. The two remained silent and stared deeply into one anther's eyes.

Natsu's eyes flickered away from hers and landed on her headband once more. He reached up with both hands to grab the white frilly fabric and move it so it was centered on top of her head. Content with its new placement, Natsu moved his arms away from her head but let them float in the air.

Lucy's eyes shifted her intent gaze between his eyes, searching for something… anything. She felt something creeping up within her, something urging her to move but she remained. She knew what she wanted but this wasn't completely about her. Natsu's arms relaxed slightly and his softened with confidence. He held his gaze on her, making Lucy feel like he was peering into the deepest part of her being. The gesture didn't frighten Lucy or make her feel uncomfortable; it drew her closer.

Her elbows bent slightly as she inched her face closer to his, neither of their eyes leaving the other's. Natsu's hand moved forward and rested itself on the back of her neck just as her nose touched his. He drew his arm in, pulling her along with it to close the distance between them. Her lips fell gently onto his, causing a wave of warmth to run over her. It started off tender, like the kiss they shared earlier, but there was something else to it that made it stronger.

She turned her head to continue the kiss when Natsu moved his head to deepen it. Wanting to be closer to him, she moved her legs, so she was kneeling in a straddling position over him. His other hand rested on her thigh, just on the border of bare skin and the hem of her tights. The touch of their bare skin on one another sent them into a whirlwind of emotions. The intensity of their kisses increased, and their bodies responded to it.

Lucy relinquished her grip of the futon to grab a fistful of Natsu's hair and the other hand wrapped around his back. Natsu, sensing her movement, leaned forward to give her better access to him as well as deepen their kiss. His hand continued to cradle her neck but he allowed his other hand to slowly slide up her thigh towards her body.

Her legs instinctively squeezed tighter around his frame; she could feel her body increase in temperature and passion, but at the same time, she felt her want grow deeper and deeper… she wanted more, she needed more.

Lucy opened her mouth more to incentivize Natsu into exploring her mouth further; he was up for the challenge. As the two deepened their kiss, Natsu tried to decrease the space between them as much as possible. Lucy was getting lost in the feelings she was experiencing in the moment that she gasped in surprise when she suddenly felt Natsu's lips on the crook of her neck.

She titled her head back and to the side to give him more access, which he graciously accepted. His hand moved from her neck to the back of her head, threading through her hair. She smiles in bliss as he sucks at the spot on her neck where her pulse is raging. She grips the back of his shirt tightly as he presses into her ever more slightly. Lost in the sensory overload, she is able to release a single breathy word, "Natsu."

He pulls back slowly but doesn't move far away. He rests his forehead against hers and they stare into one another's eyes as they each catch their breath. His hands rested on either side of her cheek and her arms clung to his biceps. Lucy boldly broke the silence, "Did you mean what you said earlier?" She looked at him directly, "Do you love me?" He moved one of his hands to sweep her now messy hair away from her face. Her heart grew when she saw him smile, "I've always loved you, Luce… but it wasn't until this week when I realized it was more than just friends."

"Me too…" she whispered, now causing him to smile wildly. "So… what do we do now?"

"Well…" he inched closer, so their noses were now next to one another rather than touching. "I feel like we should see where this goes." She smiled and chuckled as he continued, "I'm mean we owe it to ourselves after so many years."

"That's the smartest thing you've ever said," she giggled.

"Hey!" he began to shout in an insulted tone, but Lucy shut him up by crashing her lips onto his. Natsu quickly gave in and the two continued getting lost in their passions for one another. Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and gripped his head once more. She could honestly say she had never wanted something more than she did in this moment.

She squeezed her legs against his body. Natsu seemed to catch on as he moved his hands to grab underneath her thighs. With ease, Natsu lifted them both off the futon and Lucy locked her legs behind him to keep herself secure. Without breaking their make out session, Natsu walked the two of them around the box wall to the bedroom area. With a soft thud, Natsu dropped Lucy onto the bed, this time with him straddling her.

Natsu broke apart for a moment to peer at Lucy. Her headband had been lost somewhere and her hair fanned out on the mattress below her. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat and her eyes glinted from the moonlight shimmering through the window along the wall beside them… she was breathtaking. "You okay, Natsu?" she asked in a worried tone.

He gave her a reassuring smile, "Never been better." She smiled back before their lips crashed together once more, their intensity picking up where they left off. Lucy kicked off her tights as she and Natsu took off his shirt.

Their clothes found their way to the floor, tossed away in a moment of passion. The heat so intense and powerful, they had no choice but to give in to it. Natsu and Lucy made love to one another all night, getting lost in one another and discovering something they had always known but now get to explore.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hellllllooooo! Sorry for the break, I'm trying to get the rest of the story written so I can work on MRNL again. But here is the next installment! **

**I hope you all enjoy! Let me know in your reviews and messages! I love reading them all.**

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Day 5

She was at peace… for the first time in a long time. The fan whirled on the ceiling above her causing a brisk breeze to glance over her bare shoulder, but she wasn't cold; in fact, she was rather warm. Lucy was still in that 'asleep but aware of your surroundings' phase, so she could feel the warmth that enveloped her.

It was centered directly behind her with it wrapping over her legs and arms. Feeling the cool air from the fan, she snuggled deeper into the warmth. She found it odd yet comforting when the warmth reacted. She heard an exhale in her ear and a heat wave ran over her arm to secure her tighter. It made her feel protected and safe… something she hadn't felt in a while either. She could get used to this… *ring*… or not.

Lucy furrowed her brows as she was ripped from her peaceful slumber by her annoying ringtone. She tucked her face into the crook of her arm; maybe if she ignored the phone it would just stop and whoever was on the other line would stop bothering her. Scratch that, she knew that tone, it was her father and she knew he would never stop.

After a few rings going unanswered, Lucy heard an audible groan from behind her. She furrowed her brows a bit more as she felt her whole body shift forward. The warmth that wrapped around her torso, which she now recognized as a man's arm, had left its spot to reach for her phone on the nightstand in front of them. She peeked through her lashes just enough to see the arm retreating with phone in hand. She couldn't help but smile when she heard the groggy voice of the man behind her.

"Hello?" Natsu questioned, in his gravely morning voice.

"Natsu? You sound like you just woke up," Jude replied.

"Uh, yeah…" he remarked as he removed his arms from the blonde beside him and sat up in bed. He glanced over at the blonde and couldn't help but grin as he ran his eyes from the top of her head down to where the sheets hung just above her waist. "We, uh, were out late with friends so we didn't get much sleep." He tried not to chuckle as Lucy nudged his leg with her foot.

"Well, if you two sleep in much longer, you will miss the games." _Ugh, that's right._ The last day of the festival was an all-day series of games among different townsfolk. They did everything from the cliché sack races and egg toss to volleyball tournaments. Natsu used to love the games; he and Gray would always compete to see who would come out on top for their age group… but honestly there was no chance since Erza always won. He hadn't played any of the games since the last time he was here for the festival… his senior year of high school. _My how things have changed._

"Besides, we wanted to have lunch as a family before the games kicked off, so your mother told me to call you to make sure you both made it here." _Of course, she did,_ he thought. "So when does she want us over there?"

"Lunch starts at 11:30 sharp." Natsu pulled the phone away from his ear to check the time, 10:32. He shrugged,_ not as late as I thought._ "We'll be there on time."

Jude said his goodbyes and Natsu returned them before hanging up the phone. Natsu placed the phone on the nightstand closest to his side of the bed. He slid back down under the covers as he rolled over to resume his position next to Lucy. He pressed his chest up against Lucy's back, making sure no room was left between them. His right arm wrapped around the girl's frame and laid gently on top of her own. Lastly, with a sigh of pleasure, he laid his head down so her head was tucked beneath his chin.

"Who was that?" Lucy asked, not hiding the big grin she wore on her face.

"Your dad. Apparently, we are having a family lunch before the games this afternoon and we need to be there at 11:30 sharp or my mother will have a fit." The two chuckled; Lucy tingled at the rumbling of Natsu's laughter gently shaking her. "But that's not for another hour so…" Natsu leaned forward and began planting light kisses on the back of Lucy's neck. The girl chuckled as she moved her shoulder towards her ear in response. "No," she began, "but that does mean we need to get up."

"Not yet," Natsu stated as he rolled himself on top of the blonde and began kissing her on the lips. Lucy chuckled and responded by wrapping her arms around Natsu's neck and returning his kisses. Lucy was so happy right now; never in a million years did she expect to fall in love with Natsu while on this trip. In grand retrospect, this whole story seemed like some kind of romantic comedy…_ reminder to write a story about this!_

She wrinkled her brows again when something grazed her arm. She peeled her eyes open to glance past Natsu's head to stare at her arms. Lucy moved her head just slightly to the left when she saw what was brushing against her forearm; Natsu took the opportunity to start kissing Lucy's neck once more. She stared intently at the diamond on her left-hand ring finger… and couldn't help but feel her hand growing heavier and heavier.

Worried, Lucy spoke up, "Natsu, are we bad people?" Natsu stopped what he was doing and posted up on his forearms to stare at Lucy's face. "Why do you say that?" he asked confused.

Lucy huffed and rocked her head slightly from side to side, "Because we are pretending to be engaged for my dying father…" Natsu sighed and rolled over onto his back to lie next to Lucy, "and then we hade sex?!" Natsu caught his breath as he stared at the ceiling. Taking his chance to furrow his brows, he turned his head to speak to the blonde, "Was last night really that bad?"

The blonder rolled over to face Natsu; she propped her head up with her right arm and pulled the sheets up to cover her chest with her left arm. "No!" she honestly comforted, "Actually… it was the best I've ever had." She couldn't help but blush at the statement, but she made no intention to hide it. Natsu smirked as he placed his arms behind his head confidently, "I know I'm not your first but I'm honored to be your best."

Lucy jokingly pushed Natsu's elbow, "But seriously… are we bad people?"

Natsu sighed as he rolled over to face Lucy and lean on his elbow, "Lucy…"

She continued, "I mean, I just got out of a relationship with a married guy so my taste in men is asque…"

"Lucy," he stated more sternly but she continued.

"Plus, you have Lisanna…"

"Luce!"

"Or whoever else you have in your life…"

"LUCY!" The blonde stopped and stared at the pinkette in front of her. He held her gaze with a firm look in his eyes, one of determination and confidence.

"First of all, you are not the problem with your relationships; the guys in your life have never appreciated you or gave you the respect you deserved." Lucy couldn't help but soften her expression and melt at his words. "Second, you didn't do this for any malicious reason; you wanted to make your father happy and as far as I can tell, he's the happiest I've ever seen him since Layla passed… and I'm honored that I get to help with that.

Third, Lisanna and I are NOT a thing and I don't have anyone else in my life right now... but I'd like there to be." Lucy's smile faltered. Her and Natsu go from best friends to barely speaking to pretending to be engaged then sleeping together and now he was practically asking her out?! She knew Natsu well and she knew without a doubt he was serious… which surprised her.

"Natsu…" she began cautiously.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, "I mean it, Luce. I've been contemplating us this week and I'm really leaning toward moving to Crocus."

She was stunned but happy, "M-moving to Crocus?"

"I'm not happy where I'm at and there seems to be nowhere for me to go there. I applied for jobs in Crocus…" Why was her heart beating so fast right now?! "I haven't heard back from any yet but...It seems like things in my life are all pointing to you." Natsu looked back at her with soft, honest eyes just pleading for an answer. She smiled, trying to contain her joy; she reached out her hand and laid in gently on Natsu's cheek. "Why did we never get together before?"

"Well…" Natsu began as he rolled his eyes and tilted his head in the same direction, "You were always jumping from guy to guy."

"Hey!" she yelled, "It's not like you were a free agent either!"

He rolled his eyes and sighed, "Don't remind me."

"I thought you enjoyed your relationship with Lisanna."

"I did…"

"But…" Lucy teased Natsu to explain further. He chuckled at the blonde's attempt. "But… I didn't feel the connection was there. I mean, I always felt like there was something missing there." Lucy contemplated that statement. How many times had she given Natsu relationship advice from the female perspective? She pretty much coached him when it came to the major events: first date, first kiss, dances, etc. Looking back on it now, it was a little weird that she went there.

"Did you have any significant one in your slew of significant others?" he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Are you kidding me? You saw the guys I dated."

"Oh, come one. There was that one guy from the yearbook club…"

"You mean the guy who collected his toenails?"

"Or what about the guy who watched you at cheerleading practice?"

She just stared at him, "Are you kidding me?! The creep watched me at cheerleading practice."

"Well so did I," he defended.

"Natsu, you were on the field practicing at the same time."

"That doesn't mean my eyes didn't wander."

"No wonder you ran so many laps during practice, you weren't paying attention." Lucy chuckled before she realized something. "You were watching me?"

Confused, he reiterated, "Yeah… my eyes always seemed to find you." He said with a meaningful smile, but it slowly started to fade, "Sorry, that sounded creepy."

"No," Lucy placed her hand on Natsu's arm, "Even then you were watching me?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm just naturally drawn to you." He smirked after he shrugged.

"And I always ended up coming back to you," she smirked back as she leaned in closer to him. The two shared a small peck before Natsu slowly pushed her onto her back. Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck once more.

"I thought we were supposed to be getting up?" Natsu sassed.

"In a minute," Lucy replied and Natsu couldn't help but smile. Just as their makeout session started to get a little heated, the front door buzzer sounded. Natsu very audibly groaned in frustration as he rolled onto his back with a thud. Lucy chuckled as she pulled the sheet with her as she stood and walked over to the intercom.

"Who is it?" Lucy asked as she pressed the button.

"Lucy, it's me," Lucy's eyes shot wide open upon hearing her brother's voice.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hola! It's been a while, longer than I thought it would be. I had this chapter all prepared and I missed my posting deadline... whoops.**

**Please enjoy and as always, please review!**

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"Lucy, it's me," Lucy's eyes shot wide open upon hearing her brother's voice. "I lost my key somewhere and I can't get in. Buzz me up." Lucy whipped her head around to stare at Natsu who was now sitting up in bed with the same shocked look on his face. Natsu waved his hands wildly in the air but Lucy could not make out any of what Natsu was trying to say. "Lucy, come one hurry up!" She turned back to the intercom and hesitated to push the button. Finally getting the courage, she pressed the button down as she spoke, "Yeah… come on up." She hit the button beside the intercom to unlock the bottom floor door to allow her brother to begin ascending the stairs.

Lucy turned to whisper yell at Natsu, "Toss me the clothes!" Natsu went to stand but got his leg caught in the comforter and fell to the ground. He stood up quickly and scampered around the bedroom area gathering the discarded clothes from last night. Once he had an armful of clothes, he tossed them all at Lucy who threw them into the bathroom. She raised her arm towards the open bathroom door, "Go shower!"

"What?!" he whisper yelled back.

"Get in the shower now!" He rushed over towards the bathroom but paused when he reached her. "What about you?" She glanced around at the room trying desperately to come up with some kind of cover. As she was turning, Natsu's eyes widened when he saw the remnant of last night on her neck. "Uh, Luce?" he hesitantly pointed at his own neck.

She turned her head towards him and noticed his gesture. Her eyes widened as she slapped a hand over her neck, "Are you serious?!" Lucy ran into the bathroom to view her neck and unfortunately, her eyes landed right on the giant red and purple mark just above her collarbone. "Shit!" she yelled as she ran past Natsu towards her suitcase. He couldn't help but chuckle at the spazing blonde as she riffled through her suitcase searching for her makeup bag.

Lucy grabbed the open bag and quickly stood up, causing the contents to fly over her shoulder and all around the bedroom area. Natsu chuckled again at the cursing blonde as she smothered foundation on her neck. She only paused when she realized Natsu was still standing near her, watching her.

"Get in there!" she yelled as she ardently pointed at the bathroom. He chuckled and turned to take a step towards the bathroom. Natsu took a moment to slap Lucy's butt before quickly retreating into the bathroom before she could retaliate.

Just as she was about to do so, she heard the click of the doorknob to the apartment, signaling someone was entering. Lucy quickly threw on a shirt and shorts, hoping her makeup was enough. "Lucy!" Sting called as he walked in the apartment and shut the door behind him. Lucy popped out from behind the box wall. Sting looked oddly at his sister's appearance before frowning, "Is that Natsu's?"

Lucy looked down at her shirt and her eyes went wide. _Crap!_ In all the chaos she just grabbed some clothes and put them on. "No… This is mine. I like to wear baggy shirts to bed; it helps keep me cool."

"I guess that makes sense," Sting reasoned and Lucy released a sigh of relief.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked awkwardly.

"Dad called us too to tell us we had to be at the Dragneels' so I figured since you were on the way we could stop and pick you two up."

"A little notice would have been nice," Lucy mumbled but loud enough for her brother to hear.

"We kinda thought of it on the way here, but we need to hurry since Yukino is double parked." Lucy was about to reply but the sound of the shower turning off stopped her. _Act normal, Lucy!_ "I-I want to take a shower before we go... if I can."

"We both know you are incapable of taking a quick shower." Lucy uncrossed her arms from in front of her chest and threw them down at her sides defensively, "Am not!"

The bathroom door clicked and swung open in between them, drawing both their gazes to the half-naked pinkette. His hair was now sopping wet, causing drops of water to fall from his hair and run down his bare chest near his abdomen where he held a towel. He smiled at Lucy then turned his head and acted surprised to see Sting.

"Oh hey, Sting. What are you doing here?" Natsu turned to face Sting, and in doing so stood equal to Lucy. She glanced over at the pinkette but her eyes widened when she saw his back.

"I came to pick you guys up to go to your parents' house."

"I thought we weren't going over there until this afternoon?" Natsu asked with fake confusion.

"Yeah but apparently they all want to have a family lunch or something." Sting couldn't help but roll his eyes. He snapped out of it when he heard a car honk from outside. "You guys hurry up and get dressed. I will wait for you in the car." Sting waved then walked out the door and down the steps. Natsu and Lucy waited until they heard Sting's voice outside to start speaking.

"No shirt… really?" Lucy turned to sass Natsu.

"The only clothes I had in there with me were your maid outfit and the nice clothes I wore last night, neither of which would have convinced him I took a shower." Natsu's eyes flicked down to Lucy's chest and he noticed what she was wearing. To be honest, he was a little taken aback by the sight of her in his shirt, but he couldn't waste the opportunity to sass her back.

He reached out and tugged on the edge of the shirt she was wearing, just oh so slightly inching her towards him, "Well I can't very well wear my clothes if you are wearing them." She looked down at her shirt before whipping her head back up to meet him, this time with a blush on her face. "I panicked and grabbed the first thing I saw!"

"Uh huh… so you're telling me your suitcase containing all your clothes is over by the bed along with one of my shirts and yet grabbed the single item of clothing that wasn't yours." He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a single eyebrow. "Wipe that smile off your face before I kiss it off," she grumbled, but he only responded by smiling even more.

"I'd like to see you try," he challenged back. The two gazed into one another's eyes just waiting for the other to make the first move. Lucy quickly turned, hitting Natsu in the face with her hair, and walked over to her suitcase. She began rifling through her luggage as he followed close behind. "Luuuuce," he whined as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Lucy removed his arms and turned towards him to push him away, "Natsu, go get dressed on your side of the room."

Sulking, Natsu begrudgingly listened and walked over to where his duffle bag sat on the floor near the futon. "Oh!" Lucy called as she peeked her head around the box wall. Natsu couldn't help but notice she had removed his shirt and was now just wearing a bra. "Make sure you don't wear a tank top today."

He looked at her in confusion, "Why not?"

"I kinda… well, just cover your back, okay?" she answered. Understanding, Natsu immediately tried to look over his shoulder to see his back but it was impossible. He swiped his phone from its charger, opened the camera and look at his back through the front facing camera. "Damn, Lucy!" he yelled, and Lucy face palmed. He put his camera down and turned to face her with a proud look on his face, "That's my girl!"

…

"Took you guys long enough!" Sting called from the passenger seat.

"Somebody," Natsu pointed over his shoulder at Lucy who was locking the apartment door, "didn't like to be rushed in picking her outfit this morning." Lucy responded by flicking Natsu in the back of the head; Sting enjoyed it, Natsu did not.

As he rubbed his head in the spot where Lucy struck him, Natsu took in the car before him. It was an older model silver minivan with some bumps. "Sweet ride, man," Natsu jested.

Sting shrugged, "Gotta make sacrifices when you have kids."

"The car seats didn't fit so well in his convertible," Yukino leaned forward to add. She pushed a button opening the side door of the van. Once the door opened, it revealed a car seat with the baby on the far side and Lector in his booster seat sitting in the chair in front of them. "Aunt Lucy!" Lector squealed once he saw her standing there.

"Hey buddy!" she called as she ruffled his hair.

"You two will have to sit in the very back, sorry," Yukino pointed over her shoulder towards the rear of the car.

"No worries," Natsu stated as Lucy began working her way into the van.

"Uncle Natsu!" Lector yelled and the pinkette high fived the boy. Natsu wormed his way into the back and squeezed into the seat beside Lucy. Yukino shut the automatic door and pulled out onto the street to begin their journey to the Dragneel residence.

"Uncle Natsu?" Lucy questioned in a whisper.

Natsu shrugged, "He's been calling me that since the first day we were at my parent's house."

"Your mom must have told him to call you that."

"I don't mind," Natsu smiled at the blonde. Lucy was honestly stunned by the genuine smile he wore when he looked at her; it made her heart melt. "Uncle Natsu! Uncle Natsu!"

The pinkette leaned forward to speak to the child, "Yes, Lector?"

"Can we play dragons when we get to Igneel's house?"

"Sure, buddy." The child cheered at the reply and everyone in the vehicle smiled warmly, even Sting who seemed to be warming to Natsu's company.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello again! I have a new chapter for you all! Thank you for all the feedback and reviews on the story. I love reading all the responses and I'm so glad you all are enjoying this story. **

**Please enjoy!**

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Sting opened the door and announced their arrival as the others in his caravan filtered in behind him. Lector ran clean through the room and out the back door to look for Igneel; Yukino took the sleeping infant to the back room out of the noisy murmurs and discussions. Sting, Natsu and Lucy all made their way into the kitchen area where Grandine, Levy, Gajeel and Jude were waiting.

"Well, look who is here," Gajeel commented.

"You're all here earlier than I thought you would be," Grandine stated as she stood in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the lunch.

"We've been up for a while because of the kids," Sting answered.

"And Sting thought it would be a good idea to pick us up on the way," Natsu added.

"Without notice," Lucy grumbled.

"That just means we have more time together as a family," Grandine beamed. _I'd rather be doing something else, _Lucy thought. Unconsciously her eyes drifted over to Natsu, who was sitting on the other side of the kitchen island than her. His cheek rested on his fist, slightly obscuring his face, but Lucy could see the sly expression he wore as he looked at her; based on that, she figured he was thinking the same thing she was. Lucy quickly turned her face away from him to look down at the counter, so no one could see her blush. It quickly faded when she yawned; _that's right, I haven't had my morning coffee yet._

Lucy stood up and walked around the island into the kitchen to the coffee tree where the many Kcup types were laid out. Grandine got the others in the room to grab some of the lunch items and bring them outside, leaving Lucy alone in the kitchen. She glanced over all the types of coffee flavors available before she settled on a light roast to get as much caffeine as she could. She pulled the lid up on the machine, placed the cup into the machine and shut the lid. Just as she raised her finger to hit the button selecting the amount of coffee she wanted, she remembered she didn't grab a mug yet.

_That would have been bad_, she reasoned as she opened the cabinet next to her where she knew the mugs to be held. Lucy furrowed her brows when she saw the usually stocked cabinet was almost bare of mugs. Her eyes scanned the shelves starting from the bottom towards the top and unfortunately, she saw the only mugs were on the very top shelf. With a huff, Lucy stood on her toes and reached up as high as she could in hopes of reaching a mug.

She was so close! Just millimeters away from touching the handle of the mug but she was too short. She closed her eyes, put her head down and leaned as far up as she could, hoping this extra effort would be enough to reach the mug. Her eyes widened when she felt a warmth press onto her back. She looked up to see a long arm reaching up for the mug and successfully grabbing it. Her eyes remained on the mug as it worked its way down to the counter near her hand.

Lucy turned to her right slightly to look at who grabbed the mug and saw Natsu standing next to her. Well, not quite next to her. She realized he was standing right up against her and had her trapped between his arms which were now resting on the countertop. Her mind began flashing images of last night: Natsu trapped between her arms, their faces close to one another, his hand on her thigh… She snapped out of it when she felt a pinch on her nose.

She took a step back and rubbed her nose but Natsu remained in his spot chuckling. "You're such a weirdo, Luce." He turned towards the counter, placed the mug underneath the spot of the coffee machine and pressed the button allowing the coffee to brew. While the coffee brewed and poured, Natsu casually leaned against the counter and stared happily at her.

"Why did you do that?" she whined, still rubbing her nose.

"Cuz you were staring off into space. I had to get your attention somehow."

"Well there are better ways of doing it other than pinching my nose!"

"How would you want me to get your attention?" he stated in a sultry tone. Lucy's eyes went wide as a blush grew from her cheeks before covering her entire face. Her lips squeezed shut and her body went stiff as a board. Lucy was stunned as her mind began flashing images of all the different responses she could give, some more appropriate than the others.

She was so focused on what was going on inside her mind, she forgot about the boy standing in front of her… that was until he started laughing at her. Lucy snapped out of it to see the pink haired man in front of her doubled over laughing hysterically. "What's with that face, Luce?!" he questioned when he was able to breathe.

The blonde snapped out of it; she shook her head and stared angrily at him, "W-what?!"

"I can only imagine the things going through your head, weirdo." He straightened up but continued laughing. Insulted, Lucy lightly slapped Natsu's arm, causing him to flinch but not stop laughing. "I'm not a weirdo!" she defended. She threw her arms down at her sides and puffed out her cheeks.

"Please, Luce, you're the weirdest weirdo I've ever met." Lucy opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted. "SSSSHHH!" The two turned their heads to see Yukino emerging from the hallway and approaching the kitchen bar. "I just put the little angel down for a nap, you better not wake her." Yukino threatened as she sat down in a chair.

"Sorry, Yuki… we will be quiet." Lucy apologized. Lucy began to reach for her coffee mug, but it was snatched away from her grasp. "Hey!" she turned to protest, only to see Natsu give a sly smile before sipping from the mug.

"You two seem awfully weird today," Yukino commented.

"See, she thinks you're weird too," Natsu motioned to Yukino with his mug.

"She called you weird too, idiot," Lucy snapped back.

Yukino looked back and forth between the two with an odd look, "What's up with you two? You guys sleep together or something?" Both their eyes went wide; Lucy's jaw dropped and her face turned as red as a tomato while Natsu turned and spit the mouthful of coffee he had just taken a sip of. Yukino's face slowly changed from a joking smile to the realization of what occurred. "Oh… oh my Mavis!" she began to yell but Lucy was quick to run around the counter and cover her sister-in-law's mouth with her hand.

"SSSHH!" Lucy warned and Natsu tried to recover from nearly choking to death on coffee. "Yukino, it's not like that!" Lucy pleaded.

"Not like what?! You're trying to tell me you two didn't fuc-"

"Uncle Natsu!" All three people whipped their heads around to see little Lector run in from outside and head straight to Natsu. When he reached him, Lector grabbed a hold of Natsu's legs and looked up at him, "You promised!" he whined.

Natsu looked down at the small child, "W-what bud?"

"You promised to play Dragons with me."

"I- uh…" Lector grabbed a hold of Natsu's hand and pulled on it, leading him out of the kitchen and towards the door. "Come one! Daddy is waiting too!" With one last pleading look, Natsu glanced over his shoulder at the two girls before he exited outside.

Lucy quickly turned around to face her sister-in-law. "Please, Yuki… don't say anything," she quietly pleaded as she held Yukino's hand in her own.

"Isn't this good though? Isn't this what you want?" Lucy sighed and let her shoulders slump a bit. "I think it's what I've always wanted." Lucy looked back up and met Yukino's eyes with a spark. "But isn't that good?"

"We haven't really had time to explore what is going on here…"

"But you want to, right?" Yukino pressed. Lucy excitedly shook her head and Yukino clutched her hand in response. "But I don't want to ruin the opportunity to do that because of the situation we are in."

"But isn't it the situation that gave you the opportunity in the first place?" Lucy looked down at her lap and sighed. _Would Natsu and I have gotten together if this weekend never happened?_ She snapped out of her downward thinking when she felt a hand on hers. Lucy looked from the hands to the person's eyes. Yukino smiled, "Whatever is going on, the two of you owe it to yourselves to figure it out… on your own time and in your own way." Lucy smiled at her. "I promise I won't say anything."

"And this isn't a 'spouse secret,' it's a 'don't tell a single soul' secret." Lucy pointed out.

Yukino raised her hands defensively, "I know, I know… I won't tell Sting. I don't want to set him off anyway." The two chuckled at the mutual man in their lives. If Sting found out about her and Natsu… Magnolia would be destroyed.

"You're the best sister a girl could ask for," Lucy smiled.

"I love you too, Lucy," she replied before the two shared a hug. "We better go outside though before anyone gets an idea something is up," Yukino reasoned just before the two broke apart. The two shared one last smile before walking outside to join the rest of their family.

Lucy and Yukino giggled with one another as they stepped out onto the back porch. Both girls stopped and took the sight in of the group of people before them. Igneel had a long banquet table set up in the lawn area just off the deck stairs which sat all of their family. Igneel and Grandine sat near the head of the table with Jude and Mrs. Spetzo, who all watched Natsu play with Lector while Sting looked on cautiously. Gajeel and Levy laughed at the playing boys from their spots at the table.

Lucy smiled warmly at the sight of her family; while they weren't all biological, these people meant more to her than anything. Her eyes fell on her father; tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the look of joyous laughter on his face. She had only distant memories of her father laughing and smiling but here, now… it was a reality. He was livelier than he had seen him in a long time and her heart swelled with joy.

Her eyes looked at the couple beside him, Igneel and Grandine. They had always been like parents to her… giving her a space of her own in their house, taking her in on nights where her father was away, cheering for her at all her extracirricular activities, etc. They had been a huge support her entire life and she really felt like part of their family. Here they were now, actually as one family, sitting amongst one another celebrating the occasion.

All this because of one man, Natsu. She looked on lovingly as the pinkette hoisted her nephew into the air and spun him around. Both were laughing and smiling, seemingly enjoying their time with one another. "He's so good with, Lector," Yukino spoke aloud. Lucy could only nod in response. Yukino leaned into the blonde, "If it's any consultation, I approve." Lucy turned to stare at her sister-in-law who responded with a genuine smile. _Did it help the situation?_

"Hey!" The girls turned their heads to see Natsu yelling at them from the table. "Come sit so we can eat; I'm starving!" The girls gave one last look to one another before making their way over to their respective seats. Lucy sat between Wendy and Natsu, while Yukino sat between Levy and Sting.

"Everything okay?" Natsu whispered to Lucy as she sat in her chair. Lucy waited until she scooted herself into the table before she responded. "Everything is great," she stated as she placed her hand on Natsu's knee under the table. He smiled and placed his hand on top of hers.

Levy couldn't help but notice the smiles and longing glances shared between her best friend and her fiancée from across the table. Lucy has always seemed to be the optimist in her life; she was encouraging and infectious with her joy. Despite this, Levy always knew there was more to Lucy deep down. She knew Lucy struggled with things in life but was amazed she found the strength to smile. Natsu was one of those people she drew strength from, but honestly, she was always jealous of how he could make her smile.

Something was up with Lucy at the start of this trip, but Levy couldn't help but notice how at peace and happy the blonde was now. _What changed?_ "Yo, Shrimp," Levy looked over at her boyfriend to see him holding out a bowl of potato salad. "Do you want some of this before the Salamander eats it all?"

"Oh… thanks." She almost whispered as she gently took the bowl. Levy stole one last glance at the 'happy couple' before she focused on the food on her plate. They seemed like their usual selves, but something felt off… oh well. Levy decided to just enjoy this family time she had while everyone was getting along and in a good mood.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! Merry Christmas! Unfortunately, I am almost done writing this story but... that means I will try to update faster. I'm just working out minor kinks and details at the end so hopefully it will turn out well.**

**Please enjoy and as always let me know what you think! I appreciate all the reviews. **

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"How is this spot?" Jellal asked as he stood with his arms full of picnic supplies. Erza and the rest of the gang followed close behind. Erza glanced at the spot Jellal was indicating and nodded in approval. "This is a most excellent spot, sweetie." Jellal smiled and dropped the items to set up the spot.

"Most excellent?" Natsu whispered to Lucy, who giggled in response.

"HEY!" Natsu's eyes went wide as he turned toward Erza, who's hair was inhumanely on fire all of a sudden. "What did you just say?!" Erza asked in a threatening manner.

"N-nothing," he pleaded as he lifted his hands up defensively.

"That's what I thought," Erza muttered before returning to helping Jellal set up the area.

"Smooth," Gray whispered to Natsu.

"You would have done the same thing, idiot!"

"Why are we setting up for a picnic? I thought we were here for the games?" Lucy asked.

"We are but this is a spot we can all hang out in between the games," Levy answered.

"So what is up first?" Juvia asked. Jellal pulled a flier out from his back pocket. His eyes quickly skimmed over the events before responding, "So first is the pie eating contest, followed by the sack race and then scavenger hunt."

"Pie eating contest?!" Natsu beamed and Lucy sighed. "When does that start?" Jellal looked down at his watch. "Five minutes at the main stage." Before Jellal could finish responding, Natsu took off in that direction.

"Guess that means I'm gonna sit here," Lucy stated as she sat down on the laid out blanket.

"Jellal and I are gonna go sign up for the egg toss." Lucy waved as Levy sat down beside her on the blanket.

"Where did Gajeel go?" she asked.

Levy huffed, "He challenged Natsu to the pie eating."

"Oh, I've got to see this," Gray commented as he began walking towards the direction Natsu disappeared in.

"Juvia wants to come too!" she shouted as she followed behind Gray' leaving Levy and Lucy alone.

"You don't want to go watch Natsu stuff his face full of food?" Levy chuckled.

"Ugh," Lucy made a disgusted face, "I've seen that enough already; I don't want to make myself sick."

"Yeah, I find Gajeel slightly less attractive when he is stuffing his face with pie."

"Only slightly?" Lucy sassed.

"Surprisingly," Levy retorted.

"Well that's definitely true love."

"Well, what about you and Natsu." Lucy's ears perked up. "What about us?" she cautioned.

"I mean you guys are engaged so obviously it's true love." Levy quietly watched Lucy's reaction to the question; she watched as she turned her head away from her and nod. "Are you happy, Lu-chan?"

Lucy paused and slowly turned to look at her best friend. _That came out of nowhere_… "Uh… I guess so?"

"You guess?"

"Well…" Lucy sighed, "Despite the stuff with my dad… in this moment, I would say I'm happy." Levy smiled. "I haven't been around friends in a while and it's weird, but I honestly missed my family."

"Are you going to be happy after this week?" Lucy stopped…_ am I? What's gonna happen after this week?_ _Sure, I'm surrounded by friends now but after this week they will all go back to their normal lives. My family was fine now but what happens when dad starts to get worse? How long will he last? And Natsu… where was that going? We both feel there is something there, but will we really be able to explore it? How long would this 'fake fiancée' thing continue?_

"After this week…" she thought aloud.

"Levy! Lucy!" The girls looked towards the voice to see Wendy waving at them from a small booth. "If you want to do the scavenger hunt, you have to sign up right now!" The girls stood up, brushed off their pants and walked over to the blue haired girl.

…

Natsu lounged on the picnic blanket as he allowed his stomach to settle from the pie eating contest. He masked his discomfort with a smug smile; content that he was not only the winner, but they ran out of pies to give him. To his dismay, the pies seemed to be a little under cooked; he preferred his food to be slightly burnt for some reason, possibly since it adds some crispness.

He sighed as he placed his arms under his head. He hadn't been able to relax in a long time; he had been pulled from job to job with no time to breathe or time for fun in between. This opportunity with Lucy brought joy back into his life; he found himself smiling again for no reason and it felt great! Thinking about her made him smile.

"Pleasant dreams?" Natsu opened his eyes and saw his father sitting beside him on the blanket. "Just thinking about the future," Natsu answered.

"I'm glad to see you're hopeful… for once." Natsu furrowed his brows as he sat up onto his elbows. "For once?"

"You were always a joyous child; always smiling and willing to help out everyone you came across. When you graduated, you seemed eager to take on the world, but something happened, and you slowly lost your fire." Natsu dropped his head; adulthood wasn't kind to him, but then again is it ever?

"It killed your mother and I to see you like that… well, hear about it since you didn't visit as much."

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that," Natsu stated as he rubbed the back of his neck. Igneel smiled and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "We understand that you had things to sort out and that you needed space to do that."

"I didn't think you'd be proud of me," Natsu hung his head once more.

"Natsu, we are extremely proud of you. Sure, you aren't where you thought you'd be in life, but you haven't given up. You know how hard your mom had to fight to get to where she was? People told her she would never be a doctor and they made it their job to get her to quit… but look at her.

Despite the hardships you've encountered, you are still trying your best and that's all I could ever ask for as a father. And it warms my heart to see you excited for the future."

Natsu smiled to himself; he wasn't one for much emotions but in this moment he could cry. He had been trying so hard to earn his father's approval, but he already had it.

"Thanks Dad," he smiled at the older man next to him, who responded by patting him on the back. "Now…" Igneel began, causing Natsu to look at him once more, "As your father, I want to ask you a question."

"Uhh… okay?" Natsu approved hesitantly.

"Are you happy with your relationship with Lucy?" Natsu opened his mouth to respond but he wasn't exactly sure what to say. "Your sex life is your business…" Natsu couldn't help but twinge at the statement. "I'm talking about the rest of it. Do you laugh together? Support one another? Do you fight about the little things?"

"I wouldn't say we fight… mostly bicker." Igneel couldn't help but chuckle. "Overall though…" Natsu reflected, "I think it's good."

"You two will bicker for the rest of your lives and you will fight too… but it's knowing how to fight for one another and not against one another. Things will come up that will try to tear you apart, but marriage means fighting for your love. It's not easy being married. It's about finding that right person to face every absurd task that comes your way." Igneel turned to look at his son, "Is Lucy that person for you?"

Natsu shook his head and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Yeah."

Igneel shook his head side to side as he lowered it, "What I mean is, can you be yourself around her?"

Natsu looked from his father to the blonde across the lawn who was playing tag with Lector. He looked at her smile as she ran away from her nephew, the way her body shook when she laughed, the sun glistening off her golden hair and the infection of her personality. His body relaxed just by looking at her.

"Honestly, I'm more comfortable around Lucy than anyone else." Igneel smiled and patted his son's shoulder once more, "That's how you know she's the one." _The one, huh?_


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everybody! I hope you all are doing well and enjoying this season.**

**Please enjoy this new update. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed; I love reading each of them!**

**Enjoy!**

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Lucy sat on the blanket with a huff, trying to take a break from the hectic day. Somehow, she got roped into doing the three-legged race with Natsu (which was a bad idea). After that, she definitely needed to take a breather.

"Lucy!" The blonde turned to see her sister in law running towards her carrying a drink in each hand. Once she got close, she reached out and handed one to the blonde before sitting beside her. "Not competing in the water balloon fight?" she asked.

Lucy swallowed the sip she took before responding, "Are you kidding me? Not after that last game."

"I know what you mean," Yukino agreed as she took a sip, "Sting and Natsu got all competitive again and are pelting each other with the balloons."

"Yet another reason not to get involved. I can't get wet and mess this up," Lucy pointed at the side of her neck covered in makeup.

Yukino looked where Lucy was pointing and smirked, "You may want to put another coat on that." Lucy frowned and pulled out her compact. She wasn't one to carry around makeup with her, but this was an unusual scenario.

She opened the small compact and turned her head to view her neck. Lucy couldn't help but gasp to see the purple mark showing through her layer of foundation. She grabbed the sponge and began furiously applying makeup to her neck. Yukino couldn't help but chuckle. "Why are you trying to hide it? It's not like anyone here will think anything of it."

"Except my brother." Lucy deadpanned.

"Oh yeah… I almost forgot about that. Sting would flip!" she chuckled.

"All the more reason not to start anything." Content with her coverup, Lucy placed the sponge and compact back into her purse.

Laughter drew the girl's attention to the men coming towards her; Sting and Lector were all dripping wet, most likely from their battle. "Mommy!" Lector called as he ran up and jumped into Yukino's lap, much to her dismay. "Why are you soaking wet?!"

"Daddy let me play with him and Uncle Natsu!"

Yukino glared at her husband, causing him to flinch, "You let him play in the water balloon fight?!"

"He saw us having fun and wanted to join in," he explained.

"We don't have a change of clothes for him here." All were silent, especially Lucy who didn't want to get involved. "So…." Sting began.

"So, go home and grab some clean clothes for him." Yukino stood and took the child's hand. "I will take him to Igneel's to dry off." With that, she stormed away, Lector waving wildly at the others as they disappeared in the crowds of people. Sting sighed, "Guess I better go; don't want to make the wife anymore unhappy than she already is." He grabbed the keys from Lucy's bag before walking off towards the parking lot.

Lucy chuckled at her brother as he walked away, not paying attention to the dripping wet man coming towards her. "Lucy!" She turned her head towards the voice only to be tackled by Natsu who was soaked. She squealed once the cold, wet clothes touched her skin as well as from the number of kisses he planted on the side of her face and neck. "Natsu!" she cried. "Get off!" she laughed as she pushed the man off her.

"How is my beautiful fiancée?" he smiled as he still leaned over her.

"Soaking wet now thanks to you." She complained as she sat up.

"Luce, please we're in public," he joked which earned him a slap to the arm.

"Natsu, there are children here!" she whisper yelled.

"They don't understand what I'm talking about." He stated as he began to ring out his shirt.

"Not on the blanket." He grumbled as he stood up and walked just off the edge of the blanket. He quickly took off his shirt and began twisting it to get all the water out. Lucy swore he jumped into a lake with the amount of water that came out of his shirt. She thought she was sly as she let her eyes drift from the shirt in his hands to Natsu's muscled body to sneak a peek but immediately blushed when she saw his back.

"Natsu!" she shouted and reached forward for him. He simply looked at her confused. "Put your shirt back on," she demanded with a clenched jaw.

"I'm getting the water out," he explained confused as to why she was being forceful with him. She pointed excitedly at her back, but he looked at her with confusion. She face palmed before mouthing 'back' at him with wide eyes. Lucy could literally see the wheels in his head turning while he thought about what she was implying.

When it clicked, his eyes shot open. "Oh yeah, my back!" he yelled as he glanced over his shoulder to look at it. Lucy face palmed once more. "Please put your shirt on." Luckily, Natsu complied.

As Natsu placed his shirt over his head, a phone began to ring inside Lucy's bag. She looked down in confusion, _that's not my tone_. She reached in and pulled out Natsu's phone which was sounding. "Uh Natsu?" she held out the phone to him. He popped his head through the collar before glancing at the screen. He wasn't expecting a call and he was even more confused when he didn't recognize the number on the screen. Taking a chance, he grabbed the phone from Lucy and clicked 'accept' before raising the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked inquisitively.

"This is Mr. Yuri Dreyar calling from Sylph Labyrinth. Is this Natsu Dragneel?" His ears perked up and his eyes widened. _Dreyar?!_ "Yes, this is," he stated as he silently excused himself from Lucy. Lucy eyed him oddly as he walked out of hearing range. _I hope everything is okay_, she thought.

"Mr. Dragneel, I'm calling about your application."

"Yes, sir…" he wanted to know what about his application this man was calling but he seemed so nonchalant and took his time answering, which aggravated Natsu. "Your application states you wished to apply for our open entry office position."

"Yes, sir." _And?! What was this guy getting at_? "I have always admired your company for the…"

"I don't need you to sell yourself for this position, Mr. Dragneel. In fact, I don't think you are a good fit for it." His eyes widened and he was horrified. A simple 'you didn't get the job' would have sufficed. Why was this guy putting him through all this? He sighed to get his emotions in order, "I see, sir… well, I appreciate…"

"You don't see, otherwise you would let me continue." Natsu furrowed his brows in confusion. "I don't think you are a good fit for the position you applied to, because I believe you are more qualified than that." His eyes shot open again, this time in excitement. "Your resume is outstanding, and your CR showed your strive and dedication not only to a company but your commitment to people on a personal level."

Natsu was in shock and his mind was blank as he listened to the man continue. "I spoke to all your previous employers, including all those you've done temp work for. Not even one had a bad thing to say about you. Your boss at the agency you work for is a good friend of mine and he said I would be an idiot not to hire you."

His thoughts clicked once more and allowed him enough brain power to respond, "But I thought you said I wasn't a good fit?"

"For the entry level position, yes; however, I want to offer you a managerial position with us. I believe you are the kind of person we need on our staff to take our company to the next level." Natsu's breath hitched in his throat… _a manager at a big enterprise?!_ "I would love to meet with you to discuss this opportunity in depth. When is the soonest we can meet?"

...

Lisanna walked around the different groups of families before her eyes landed on Natsu. She chuckled at his wet and disheveled appearance but was drawn by his beaming smile. _He must have gotten good news! _She couldn't help but smile when looking at him.

She took a step forward and opened her mouth to yell to the pinkette, but before she could, he took off running the opposite direction. Confused, Lisanna sped walked after him but stopped when he saw him talking with Lucy_. That's right… Lucy._

"Lucy!" She turned her head over her shoulder to see an excited Natsu running towards her. She was shocked to see him so excited but even more so when he grabbed her hand and stood her up. "I need to talk to you." Without a reply, Natsu led her away from the crowds and underneath the shade of a nearby tree.

"Everything okay, Natsu?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Things are great, Luce! That's what I wanted to talk to you about." She waited somewhat patiently as Natsu squirmed and took a deep breath to collect himself. "I just got a call from Sylph Labyrinth..." She raised her eyebrows and leaned in as she waited for him to finish his sentence. "And they offered me a managerial position!"

Lucy's face brightened with excitement, "That's awesome, Natsu!" She cheered as she hugged the pinkette. She was so happy for him, all his hard work seemed to pay off. Her eyes shot open and her smile faded when the words sunk into her brain. "Wait…" she began as she pulled away from Natsu. He didn't look at her in confusion but simply smiled at her and let her continue. "Sylph Labyrinth?... as in the conglomerate located in Crocus?"

"The very same," the pinkette beamed.

"You know you don't live in Crocus, right?" she continued.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," his voice softened as he reached out and took her hands in his own. Lucy quickly looked down at their hands then back up to meet the green eyes of the man in front of her. "I have an interview set up with them the day after we fly back. I was hoping I could stay at your place for the interview… and while I'm looking for a place in Crocus?"

Lucy was stunned. So much had happened this weekend, specifically between the two of them. She couldn't help but wonder where this would lead the two of them and now… she had a direction. The two of them, together in Crocus? But would they be together?

Her thoughts were running too ramped for her to speak but Natsu wasn't looking for a reply. He swallowed before opening his mouth to speak once more. "Luce, about this fake engagement thing, I…" he began but was interrupted by an arm looping around his throat to pull him backwards and away from the blonde.

"Yo, Natsu!" Natsu groaned in anger not just at the male holding him but also at the moment he ruined. "It's time to get your asses kicked at volleyball!"

"Fake engagement?!" Lisanna thought out loud. She smirked evilly to herself and walked away.

"Gray," he tried to maintain his composure, so he didn't explode, "If you don't want your throat ripped from your neck, I suggest you go wait by the court."

"I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart and that's how you reply to me?!" the male replied with hurt sarcasm. "They called last call for forfeitures, but I didn't want to let you off easy so Juvia and I went to find you two."

"For what exactly?" Lucy asked once she found the words to speak.

Gray turned to her to answer, "For couples volleyball. Natsu and I made a bet that Juvia and I would beat you." Gray released his hold on Natsu to arrogantly point at his bare chest. "If we win, you two have to sing a duet in the Talent Show this evening."

"Yeah but if we win, he has to ask Juvia out and in public so we have proof," Natsu grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest. Lucy looked at the raven-haired boy and noticed the slight twinge of his cheek when Natsu stated his condition. Lucy responded by mimicking Natsu's body language and signature smirk, which shook Gray to his core. "Sounds like Gray is going to be making an announcement later." Gray looked between the two of them before turning around and stomping off. "I never should have went to search for them," he muttered under his breath. Lucy and Natsu followed behind him towards the sand courts.


	19. Chapter 19

**Merry Christmas all! I hope you all had a lovely holiday full of love and cheer. Mine was a mixture of emotions... loss of a family member does some weird things to Christmas joy. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I never imagined this story would be this many chapters or go into the next year; it was supposed to be a short story to keep me preoccupied... whoops.**

**Please review, I love to read them all!**

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Natsu and Lucy walked up to see the area was surrounded by a large crowd of people on all sides. In all the years of the festival games, she had never seen so many people at one event. The crowd roared when they noticed the two walking up to the court. Lucy could see Grandine, Igneel and Wendy sitting together with makeshifts signs for her and Natsu. Lucy waved to her father who was oddly holding a meatball sub._ Is he supposed to be eating that?_ she thought. She shook her head and refocused on the game.

"Mr. Heartfilia, you shouldn't be eating that. The doctor said to avoid those kinds of foods." Mrs. Spetzo pleaded. Jude brushed her off as he took a large bite. "Please, dear, this is my vacation; I'm enjoying myself." The two joined in as the crowd cheered for the teams as they entered the court.

Natsu and Lucy took their places on one side of the net while Gray and Juvia stood directly opposite them on the other side. The referee walked from the edge of the net towards the middle to meet the two teams. None of the players listened to the ref when he droned on about the rules; instead, they stared at one another trying to increase the intimidation factor. "I want a good clean game, alright?" he finished but everyone simply nodded in reply.

"We call skins," Gray called out. Before anyone could say anything to correct him, Gray and Juvia ripped off their shirts, exposing their bare skin underneath. "A little dramatic, don't you think?" Natsu whispered as he leaned into Lucy.

"Players, take your places," the ref called out as he motioned to the two ends of the court. The ref excused each team to their side to begin the game. Lucy took her place at the end of the court with Natsu standing against the net. Gray glared at the pinkette through the netting; Lucy guessed the two were mumbling curses at one another by the way they were acting. She hung her head a bit and shook it from side to side before serving the ball to the other side.

Grandine and Igneel settled into their chairs; if the entire match was anything like the first volley, it would take forever. All four players were exceptionally good and competitive. It was also very back and forth. Natsu and Lucy would score then Gray and Juvia would turn around and score right back. Most of the bystanders had left to go watch or participate in other events.

Due to the time, the referee needed to call the game. "Alright, whoever scores this point is the official winner." Lucy huffed as she bent at the waist to stare at the blunette across the net from her. She was winded; she hadn't done much for heavy exercise in a while plus she had to keep up with Natsu. Whenever he got competitive, she would try to stay on the sidelines as to not get sucked in. Boy was she in it now.

She looked at Juvia in the eye and was stunned to find a sense of determination within them. Why would she fight so hard against them? "Hey, Juvia," Lucy whispered. Lucy figured the girl heard her since she perked her head up a bit. "Why don't you let us win? I don't get it."

"Juvia can't let her Gray-sama down. Plus… Gray-sama promised to take Juvia out for a romantic dinner tomorrow if we won."

Lucy sighed and bowed her head before raising it once more with a look of determination, "Juvia, we made a bet with Gray. If we win, he has to ask you out in front of everyone." Juvia's determined face dropped. "He what?..."

"He made a promise to us; what do you say, Juvia?" Both girls jumped slightly when the ref blew the whistle. Natsu exhaled harshly before serving the ball over the net towards Gray. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Lucy watched the ball head towards Juvia. She could see the girl wrestling within her. Juvia simply raised her arms and let the ball bounce off them.

Lucy smiled; the blunette was on their side. "What the hell, Juvia?!" Gray called as he ran after the ball, which was whizzing out of bounds. "Forgive me, Gray-sama… Juvia wants to hear you ask her out." Natsu and Lucy couldn't help but smile as they watched Gray struggle to run to the ball in an attempt to save himself. Gray reached out his arms as he ran towards the ball, never keeping his eye off it. Again in slow motion, Lucy watched as Gray dove forward, connecting the ball to his arms.

Natsu and Lucy's jaws dropped as they watched Gray not only successfully hit the ball but send it in their direction. Natsu jumped straight up in an attempt to block the stray ball. He let out a curse as the ball sailed over his head and headed for the deep corner of his and Lucy's court.

Lucy ran towards where the ball was landing; she pumped her legs and dug her feet into the sand to try to get her to the ball before it hit the ground. _I'm not gonna make it… I'm not gonna make it_! She shut her eyes as tight as possible and took a leap towards the ball. Lucy felt her arm sink into the sand; so much so, she could feel each of the grains of sand brushing against her skin. Her arm burned and she knew it was more than the sand.

She peered through her eyelashes to see her arm scraping against the stake indicating the corner of the court. From her arm, she could see bits of sand flying past her to hit her face and run down her arm, she could see blood. _This is definitely gonna hurt later_, she thought.

Her eyes flicked up towards her wrist and was shocked to see the ball hit off her hand and not the ground. As she continued to slide into the sand, she turned her body to watch the ball fly into the air. What amazed her even more was Natsu, who appeared over her in a flash. With such grace, he swatted the ball from its position above her and over the net. Gray was still on the ground recovering from his save to be able to make another. He pushed himself onto his knees before attempting to launch forward to dive once more. Gray landed with a face full of sand just millimeters from where the ball landed with a plop.

The crowd stood and cheered (Lucy was unsure if it was because they won or because the game was over). Lucy laid on the ground, partially stunned at what happened, and saw Juvia walk over to a defeated Gray, squat next to him and smile. She could only imagine what the two were talking about at the moment, but she was dying to know.

She was shocked out of her thoughts when Natsu stood over her and helped her up. Lucy started dusting off the sand from her body but was stopped when Natsu gently grabbed a hold of her wrist. "You were awesome, Luce! I can't believe you actually saved that!" Lucy couldn't help but chuckle at how absurd he was.

He gently turned her arm over to view the damage done to her. Lucy had a long scrape starting from her wrist and traveled down her forearm, past her elbow and ending into her tricep. "Luce…" he said in a worried tone.

"It's not that bad…" She questioned but was met with a disappointed glare.

"Luce, your entire arm is falling off."

"Okay, you're being over dramatic," she deadpanned back.

"I'm gonna get you some bandages; wait here." Before Lucy could respond, Natsu took off through the crowd. Lucy just stood there holding her arm against her body while the crowd came to her.

"That was amazing!" Wendy called as she hugged Lucy. The blonde couldn't help but cringe a little when the girl put pressure on her arm. "You okay, Lucy?" Grandine asked as she walked up.

"That was quite a tumble you took," Igneel added.

Lucy shrugged, "I scraped my arm a bit."

"Let me see," Grandine stated as she reached for Lucy's arm. She figured it was easier to comply than to resist Grandine. The woman raised Lucy's arm just as Natsu had and she even had the same response. The group collectively gasped at the sight of the wound. "Lucy, we need to get this treated immediately."

Lucy pointed over her shoulder towards the direction Natsu disappeared, "Oh… Natsu is getting me some…" Grandine grabbed onto Lucy's hand and pulled her away from the crowd. "We will go to the house. I've got all we need there."

"I'll go tell Natsu not to worry about it," Levy called out at the two. Grandine responded by waving back at the blue-haired girl.

…

Lucy cringed when the water hit her open wound. _It was a necessary thing to clean it but why did it hurt so much?!_ "Sorry about this," Grandine apologized, "It will be over in a second." The two didn't speak for a moment, just letting the sound of the running water run down Lucy's arm could be heard in the house. The blonde stole a quick glance at the woman before speaking, "Thank you for this."

Grandine smiled without taking her attention from Lucy's arm, "You're welcome. Happy to help my future daughter in law." _Daughter in law_… she let that sink in. She would love to be part of this family; would she ever get that chance?

"I have to say," Grandine stated as she turned off the faucet and began rifling through her medicine bag. "Natsu has been so much livelier since you've been around."

Lucy was stunned and all she could muster was, "Oh." Grandine began placing gauze pads over the wound. "Natsu has been in kind of a funk lately but seeing him here with you and the smile he has when he is around you… it warms my heart."

"I wouldn't say that's all my doing," she replied nervously.

"Nothing is ever one person's doing, but what you are doing simply helps."

Lucy looked in Grandine's eyes, "What is that?"

Grandine finished wrapping Lucy's arm before meeting her eyes, "Loving my son." Lucy couldn't hold Grandine's gaze; she stared intently down at her wrapped arm. She jumped slightly when Grandine rubbed her shoulder, "Come on, sweetie. We don't want to miss Gray's big statement now, do we?" That was one thing Lucy absolutely couldn't miss.

With a smile and a nod, Lucy hopped off the counter and walked beside Grandine out of the house. The two conversed as they strolled back towards the park. Lucy turned her head towards the path before her but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her.

Her eyes grew wide, her hands clenched into fists and her body shook. She couldn't believe the sight before her. Grandine stopped to stare at the blonde before looking at what she was so fixated on. When she saw it, she couldn't help but gasp.

Just a few yards ahead of them, Lisanna had her arms wrapped around Natsu's neck, and his around her waist, as the two shared what appeared to be a deep, passionate kiss.

The tears started to fall effortlessly from her eyes. _Get out… get out now! _Her body screamed but her feet couldn't seem to move her. The world around her was quiet; her thoughts racing but all to a negative downfall.

She jumped when Grandine touched her shoulder; seemingly spurring her into motion, her legs finally moved her, and it was far away from there. Lucy turned and ran furiously away from there, anywhere but there. The wind in her face burned her eyes so she squeezed them tight, hoping the image she had of the two of them in her mind would disappear. The harder she pressed, the more impressed the image became on her mind.

Grandine watched as the blonde ran away until she was out of sight. She glanced at the two once before turning around and heading after the blonde. Questions rolled through her mind but her main concern was to find the blonde.


	20. Chapter 20

**Happy New Year! I know I didn't end things off in the last chapter on a light note... and I won't on this one either haha. But hopefully you guys will get some kind of clarity as to what was happening in the last chapter.**

**Things for me lately are super aggravating and it's a lot to deal with. I lost my aunt suddenly, I'm super sick, and I had to work a double shift over the holiday... now I have a busted pipe under my house so the new year is off to a fantastic start (sarcasm). Ugh, anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. I will try to update as I can. Maybe with me being sick in bed you will get more updates? we'll see.**

**Enjoy! Please review**

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He frantically rummaged through the various plastic tubs underneath the table of the open stall. When Natsu asked for a first aid kit, he was directed towards the med tent. He had no clue why there was no one in the med tent and even more so questioned why there was no first aid kit there! Paranoid he had missed it the first time, Natsu went through the containers once more.

His face brightened up when he found the red box he was looking for. He quickly opened it up to make sure the necessary supplies where inside. Finding what he needed, he left the containers as was and hopped the table to run back towards the volleyball court.

Natsu quickly turned left around the edge of the tent and ran into someone, causing them both to fall to the ground. Natsu opened his eyes to see Lisanna sitting in front of him on the ground. He let go of the first aid kit to help the girl to her feet. "Sorry, Lis, I didn't see you there," he stated excitedly.

"That's okay," she replied just as he was helping her up. Natsu bent over grabbed the kit and was just about to run away when she grabbed his arm. "Natsu, wait."

"Lisanna, Lucy is hurt, and I need to get this to her."

"I need to talk to you," she pleaded as she pulled on his arm once more.

Natsu pulled his arm out of her grip before stating, "I will talk to you later, I promise, but right now…"

"I love you!" she shouted, causing Natsu to stop dead in his tracks. "Seeing you here again and talking to you about how our lives are now made me realize…"

"No." Lisanna looked at the back of the pink haired boy just a few steps ahead of her. "No?" she questioned.

"You don't get to say that." He turned to face her, his face the angriest she had ever seen. "You were the one that got rid of me, remember?!"

"It wasn't like that, Natsu."

"Then what was it?!"

"I didn't want to hold you back. You talked about these great things… of traveling and going abroad for school; honestly, it intimidated me. I wanted you to do all those things and I didn't want you to miss out because I didn't want to go."

"That's life, Lis." He stated as he walked back up to her. "It's full of unknowns as well as excitements and disappointments. You gotta go where it takes you, and if you don't that's giving up. You gave up on me, on us!"

Lisanna reached out and grasped Natsu's shirt in both his hands, "But I'm here now! We can do this again!" Natsu grabbed Lisanna's hands in his own to remove them from him. "It's too late. You had your chance but now, I've moved on." He pulled her hands off and began to back away from her. "I'm here with my fiancé for crying out loud; there is no moving forward from here."

"Don't lie to me! I know about you and Lucy!" Natsu's eyes twitched slightly. "I know about your little game to pretend to be something you're not, and all just to appease Jude?! Your relationship is a lie!"

"That's where you're wrong!" Natsu screamed. A took a powerful step towards her; Lisanna couldn't help but cower a bit. "I love Lucy more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life. She isn't afraid to go after what she wants, and she inspires me to do the same." His voice toned down a bit and hinted towards softness. "I'm happy… I suggest you find something that can make you feel the same."

Natsu turned and began walking down the path back towards the volleyball court. Releasing all that at once honestly felt really good… and he admitted he loved Lucy. For the second time this week, he felt at peace… and he liked it.

With a smile on his face, he kept trudging forward. Lisanna raised her shoulders and clenched her hands at her sides. _I can't let him go!_ She closed her eyes and screamed, "I'm gonna tell everyone you two aren't really engaged!"

Natsu stopped and simply chuckled, causing Lisanna to falter. "Go ahead." Lisanna's eyes shot open. Natsu turned around to face her, his face easy and content. "I will make it right." He turned around again and began calmly walking back to where he came.

Her knees shook and she hung her head. _Don't let him go, not again. _"Natsu," she pleaded. To her surprise, he actually turned around to face her. "One last kiss? Please?" She watched his chest rise and fall as he sighed. "One last time," he almost whispered.

Lisanna quickly wiped her tears from her cheeks before walking forward to him. The man before her was not the same Natsu she had known in high school; he was stronger, still searching for who he was but now on track to finding it. He seemed so assured of what he wanted and how he felt; in this moment, Lisanna found it odd that she was comforted and proud of this change but only slightly disappointed not to be a part of it.

She placed her arms around Natsu's neck and leaned up on her toes to reach him. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of his lips on hers one last time. All the memories of their time together flooded her mind in chronological order. She was drawn to him from the first moment she saw him, and she longed to be in his presence. She began to clutch her arms tighter around his neck to hold onto the memories as long as she could. The more she thought about what they've been through; however, the more content she was with letting go.

She needed to live her life and not be afraid of what experiences will come here way, good or bad.

Natsu placed his hands on her hips and held them there for a slight moment before using his positioning to push her away. He looked into Lisanna's eyes and saw a change; her eyes were red and watery from all her tears, but yet there was a shimmer of life in them. "You promised," he whispered. Lisanna looked down and nodded her head. She looked back up to meet his gaze, "Goodbye, Natsu."

The two slowly separated; Natsu walked back over to the first aid kit, which he dropped on the ground. He slowly picked it up, stared at it for a second then began walking back to the volleyball courts. Lisanna remained silent as she watched him walk away and disappear from her view. She smiled even though the tears rained down her cheeks; this was not an end, but rather, a beginning.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello everyone. I hope everyone is having a good year so far... 2020 has not been kind to me. Things keep piling up and honestly, its getting hard to see the silver lining. I hope releasing a new chapter would make you all happy and in turn, me happy to see what you all think. I'm just as excited to get to the end of this story as you all probably are.**

**Much love to you all! Let me know what you think**

* * *

Levy wove through the makeshift tents in the park. She glanced between the rows looking for that familiar head of pink hair._ I mean how hard can he be to spot?_

As she neared the far edge of the tents, she heard the sound of voices talking. Curious, Levy followed the sound until she stumbled upon who the voices belonged to: Natsu and Lisanna. Levy saw Natsu walking away from Lisanna but found it odd Lisanna was so insistent he stay.

Levy was about to open her mouth to shout towards the pinkette, but another voice yelled instead, "I love you!" Both Levy and Natsu's eyes shot open. Levy watched as Lisanna began to explain herself before Natsu put an end to it. She had never seen Natsu so angry before, but she knew he was right to feel so.

Things between the two of them didn't really end well and she knew it negatively affected Natsu. She would hear bits and pieces of Gajeel's phone calls with Natsu from time to time. She knew Natsu struggled with relationships since their break up and even suffered from a lack of drive. It pained her to see a friend, so lively, in that state.

That's what made her happy to hear he was with Lucy; not just the fact that she always hoped they would get together, but also because they were good for one another. Natsu encouraged Lucy and Lucy inspired Natsu to dream.

She was proud to see him standing up for himself and for his relationship with Lucy. But that proud smile faltered when she heard Lisanna's claim. "Don't lie to me! I know about you and Lucy! I know about your little game to pretend to be something you're not, and all just to appease Jude?! Your relationship is a lie!" _A lie?_ Levy entertained the thought it was fake, but she thought that was some silly notion created from reading too many fanfictions.

"That's where you're wrong!" Levy jumped at Natsu's suddenly booming voice. "I love Lucy more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life." Levy gasped; _he loves her!_ "She isn't afraid to go after what she wants, and she inspires me to do the same. I'm happy… I suggest you find something that can make you feel the same." Levy was excited to hear it and immediately began imagining what a future with Lucy would look like for him.

Levy jumped when she heard the crunch of the gravel underneath approaching footsteps. She ducked behind a tent so she wouldn't be seen by the two people; it was an awkward conversation to begin with, she didn't want to make it worse by spying. "I'm gonna tell everyone you two aren't really engaged!"

Levy's eyes shot open, _oh no! I can't let her do that!_ Levy took a deep breath in, preparing to step out and expose her from her hiding spot, but Natsu beat her to it. "Go ahead. I will make it right." She smiled to herself;_ he could handle everything himself._

She heard the crunching of gravel once more. Levy decided to stay in her spot until he walked away, but she was confused when she heard a faint voice once more. She peered out from her hiding spot to see Lisanna crying and grasping onto Natsu's jacket.

"One last kiss? Please?" Levy's shoulders slumped as she stared at the couple. "One last time," she barely heard him whisper. Levy saw the two move closer together. She couldn't bare to see the desperation and tension anymore, so she decided to leave the area as quickly and quietly as possible.

She couldn't help but smile as she made her way back to the others. She couldn't wait to see the happy couple together!

…

His mind played through all his relationships; all things started with Lisanna and declined from there. He longed for a connection at first, trying to find someone he could commit to and vice versa, but the ones who came after that couldn't cut it. Eventually, he got tired of trying and he settled for whatever fling he could come across. He soon forgot what love really was…

Then in walks Lucy. She hadn't seen him in years and yet she still treated him as if no time had passed. She was still the same joyous self she was in high school except now she had more scars to prove she fought for her happiness; she never gave up.

She reminded him there was more to life than the downs; that despite the horrible things that happened, there was still so much to hope in and live for. She showed him what love was and reminded him he was loved. He still had friends and family and now, he had her.

He smiled again and tears welled up in his eyes just thinking about his future; he was hopeful for the first time in a long time. With his new enthusiasm, he picked up pace to race towards his future.

He ran through the jungle of tents until he came to the clearing in the park. He passed by the various events until he came upon the courts. Natsu paused a moment to find Lucy among all the people, and he couldn't help his huge grin when he did.

"Luce! Luce, I found it!" He called as he ran up to her. Lucy turned her face away from him as he approached. He stopped a few feet away from her and glanced down at her arm. He furrowed his brow in confusion when he saw she had already been treated. "Who fixed up your arm?" His smile dropped when he saw Lucy edge away from him and cower into Grandine's arms.

"Luce?" he questioned as he took a step towards them, but he flinched as they backed away. Igneel stepped between them to stop him. "Natsu." He looked towards his father, who wore a displeased look on his face.

He took a moment to look around at the people around him. The face of those around him wore similar looks… of anger, confusion and hurt. "What's going on?" He asked his father softly.

"Natsu, you need to leave." He looked back to his father. "What?! Why?"

"We saw you," Grandine spoke up. Igneel moved slightly so Natsu could see Grandine. "Lucy and I… we saw you with Lisanna." His heart sank a little at the thought; _why was she there?_ "I can explain…" he began but was cut off by his mother. "How could you do that to Lucy?!"

"It's not like that at all!" He pleaded.

"You two are engaged!" Igneel added.

"You don't understand." He yelled again, this time looking to Lucy for help. The blonde kept her eyes firmly affixed to the ground. Not getting any help, he decided to show his cards. "Lucy and I aren't really engaged." There were many gasps and dropped jaws along with wide eyes, including Lucy. "We lied about the engagement."

"W-why would you do that?" Igneel asked incredulously.

"I didn't want to come home as the screw up son; I didn't want to disappoint either of you. Living in your shadows is not a cozy place so I agreed to help Lucy. And she…" He glanced over at her to see she has left the safety of Grandine's arms.

"Why would she?" Jude spoke up in a shaky tone.

"Lucy wanted you to be happy; she loves you so much and she wanted to make you smile."

"So, you lied… to all of us. To me." Jude motioned to the crowd of people that had now gathered around the chaos.

"We did lie about being engaged… but I didn't lie about how I feel about your daughter." Natsu turned around to face Lucy once more. "Lucy has always been a light in my life; to guide me, to provide warmth and comfort, to shine joy into my life… Lucy, I have never been happier than I have this week. I love you."

The crowd was silent; some awed at the sweetness of Natsu's words while others remained quiet to see what happened next. Lucy calmly walked past Grandine and Igneel towards Natsu. She stopped within arms reach of the pinkette and gave a small smile. Natsu's face went to a warm smile to absolute shock when he saw her right arm reel back and come forward at him.

He tried to put his arm to block the strike, but he was only able to block some of the blow. The sheer force of the hit sent him flying back a few feet and made him fall backwards onto his rear. When the dust cleared, he looked up to see Lucy standing over him; her eyes were wide with fury and tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

"You love me?! You LOVE me?! First you agree to pretend to love me by playing house then you do all these things that make me think otherwise. And I go crazy wondering if there is something more here but it's all just a sham. Here you are sleeping with me one minute and making out with your ex the next."

"He WHAT?!" Sting yelled from his place on the bleachers. Luckily, Yukino was able to keep him under control and uninvolved.

"Was this all just a game to you? You use me to make things right between you and your parents so you wouldn't feel like such a loser?! Then you go and play with my heart to make me think we had something."

"We do have something real here, Luce," he stated as he attempted to take her hands in his own. She threw her hands out of his grasp. "Then why were you with Lisanna? You told me there was nothing between you two."

"There is nothing! Not anymore; that's all in the past."

"So are we… I can't do this anymore." Lucy removed the ring from her hand and placed it in Natsu's hand before she started to back up slowly. Natsu glanced down at the ring before looking back up at the retreating girl. "Lucy…" Natsu reached out but the girl turned and bolted in the opposite direction. Natsu took a step towards her direction, but Levy stood in his way and raised her hand. Natsu looked down at the blunette and was surprised he was met with a smile.

The small girl ran off towards the blonde, leaving him and the rest of the crowd to pick up the pieces. Natsu grabbed fistfuls of his hair and cursed internally; he had to leave. He turned and stormed off, trying to sort out his own mind.

The crowd was silent for a moment before people slowly started trickling out of the stands and out of the park. Igneel sighed before turning around to face the others still there. "Well I guess we should be cleaning up then. Not much reason to stay here…" He anxiously glanced over the faces of his wife, his daughter, and Mrs. Spetzo before ending on Jude.

His eyes widened as he saw Jude's eyes bulging and his face turning red. "Jude?" he asked as he slowly reached a hand out towards the blonde man. Jude clutched his chest in pain and began to lean forward in his seat. "Jude!" Grandine cried as she and Mrs. Spetzo rushed to his side. Grandine observed Jude for a moment before turning to her husband and yelling, "Hunny, get the care now!" Igneel nodded before running off towards the parking lot.

Grandine yelled at Wendy to get a wet washcloth for Jude's head. Wendy retrieved it just in time for Igneel to drive the car right up to the volleyball court. Grandine turned to direct Mrs. Spetzo, "We need to get him into the car." Mrs. Spetzo nodded and placed one of Jude's arms around her shoulders as Grandine took the other. Together, the two lifted Jude from his seat, walked him to the car and placed him inside. Mrs. Spetzo jumped in the back with Jude as Igneel took the to the hospital. Grandine and Wendy jumped into their other vehicle and followed close behind.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys. Thank you for all the reviews last chapter; I loved hearing all your opinions or theories for the story. I 'm actually contemplating going off script and doing an additional last chapter as a time skip. If that is something I should do let me know.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm such a horrible person! I mean, why would I put my family through this?! Especially my father?! It was his dream to meet my future husband and I just stomped on it!"

"You didn't stomp on it, Lu-chan. You did a rather odd thing, granted, but you still had kind intentions."

Levy was able to catch up to her blonde best friend and calm her down enough to sit on a park bench and take a breath. All Levy could do in this moment was be there for her friend... for encouragement, for comfort, for advice...

"My intentions don't fix the fact that everything is ruined." Lucy placed her face into her hands.

"Why would you think everything is ruined?"

Lucy removed her face to sigh and rest her elbows on her knees once more. "Where should I begin?... The whole town knows I'm a liar so I can never show my face here again, my father will probably never want to speak to me again, I can't imagine how Grandine and Igneel must feel and…" Lucy paused. Her next thought made her heart sink, "I've ruined my friendship with Natsu."

"What makes you think you two were just friends?"

Lucy turned and glared at her blue-haired friend, "What's with all the psycho analytical questions?"

"Lucy, I've known both of you for a long time. I've seen how the two of you have interacted for years… you and Natsu have been more than friends for longer than you think."

"Well if you already had the answer, why did you bother asking the question?" Lucy deadpanned.

"Because I wanted you to realize the answer." Levy smiled.

"Levy… Natsu was just a friend who helped me out by doing me a favor."

"By pretending to be engaged to you." Levy added.

"No, by pretending to love me." Lucy clarified.

"He was never pretending to do that." Lucy glared at her friend once more. "As my best friend, isn't it your job to console me and take my side in things like this?"

"No, it's my job to tell you the truth, even when it doesn't seem like it is true." Lucy rested her chin on her arms to ponder what Levy was saying. Levy placed her hand on Lucy's back reassuringly. "Natsu has always loved you. Sure, the meaning of that love has changed over time and developed from acquaintances to friends to romantic… but he does love you.

Natsu wouldn't have played along if he didn't love you. He would have kept your secret but revealing it allowed him to tell you how he really felt. And you know Natsu, he may show how he feels, but he NEVER talks about his feelings, so you know he means it when he does."

_She has a point_, she thought. Lucy immediately furrowed her brow. How could her own thoughts betray her?! Natsu played his part and that's what it was, just a role for an actor. Maybe they both got too caught up in the charade? If that's true, then she would also be at fault. She shook her head to get that notion out of her thoughts.

"The only thing he showed me was how good of an actor he was."

"What was your deal with him for this trip?"

Lucy furrowed her brow to question her friend's motive, "To pretend to me my fiancé around our families."

"Okay, so the deal only extended to being in public basically… so, he did ever do anything when it was just the two of you to SHOW you he loved you." Lucy's mind replayed all the moments of this week.

"He rescued me from that horrible party Grandine and Igneel planned, he took us to hide in our tree house after that." Lucy looked at her friend who smiled at her. Lucy couldn't help but begin to smile at the memories of this week. "He took me dancing at the school because I missed the prom, he bought me earrings because they reminded me of my mom, he comforted me all week, he organized that game night because I was having a rough week…" She paused for a moment. "I mean we didn't get to talk about last night, but…"

Levy's eyes went wide and she tried to hide the huge smile on her face, "What exactly happened last night?!"

Lucy shook her head, "That's complicated."

"Please, this whole situation is complicated."

Lucy couldn't help but blush and grin like a schoolgirl; her chest tightened at the thought of Natsu. _He does love me_… she frowned, ?

"But I saw him with Lisanna…"

Levy sighed, "Yeah… yeah I understand how that must make you feel, but you have to trust me, Lu-chan," Levy placed her hand on Lucy's shoulder reassuringly. "Natsu loves you; he is completely over her."

"But I…" Lucy began but Levy interrupted her.

"You need to talk to Natsu then."

"I already did…"

"No, the town tried, not you. You need to talk to him."

"About what?"

"About what you want… what do you want?"

Lucy opened her mouth to respond but her phone began ringing. Levy and Lucy both looked down at her screen and were confused to see Wendy calling. Lucy reluctantly clicked 'accept' on her phone, "Hi Wen, I'm a little busy…" Lucy's eyes shot open. "What?!... I'll be right there!"

Lucy clicked off her phone and frantically gathered her things. "Lu-chan, what's wrong?"

"My dad is in the hospital!"

"I'll drive you!" Levy and Lucy quickly stood and ran off towards where Levy parked.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello all! I didn't hear much in response to my posed question last chapter so this is the last opportunity to put your two cents in: should there be a time skip chapter at the end or not?**

**This is (potentially) the second to last chapter so please enjoy!**

* * *

He kept walking, hoping to work his mind into figuring out how to solve this situation. He ran his fingers through his hair, lingering towards the back of his head to grasp and pull on his locks. _How did this all happen?! Everything was going so well…_

Natsu stared down at the ground; his eyes focus on a single spot on the pathway upon which he stood but his mind focused on her, and only her. His life suddenly felt empty… just as he had found something that made his life more than just a day to day hassle and he lost, to his own stupidity.

"Gah, I'm so stupid!" He yelled out loud as he threw his hands out to his sides.

"You got that right!" Natsu turned just in time to see a fist rapidly flying towards his face. He didn't have time to block to the approaching object, so he squeezed his eyes shut. The fist impacted him squarely on his jaw, and the sheer force of the impact sent him flying back onto the ground.

Natsu stayed on the ground, recovering from the attack he just received. He peered through his half-shut eyes to see a fuming blonde figure standing before him. He blinked a few times to steady his focus. When it returned to him, he clearly saw Sting standing in an aggressive stance, breathing heavily as if trying to subdue his boiling anger. "Get your ass up!" he yelled at the pinkette before him, but Natsu didn't move. "Stand up so I can hit you again!"

"Sting, stop!" Yukino called from a distance as she ran towards the men. Natsu leaned up onto his elbows to look at his attacker.

"Don't you think my family has been through enough?! We've already lost our mother and now we are faced with the loss of our father, but oh, that's not enough for you… you had to go and break my sister's heart!" Natsu's eyes twitched at the last statement. "I've had enough of you using my family to make yourself feel better."

"Well, I feel like shit so obviously I messed up somewhere along the way." Natsu yelled back, his jaw beginning to lightly throb. Yukino caught up to the two, but remained silent as she stood just behind her husband.

"You messed up a long time ago, the messed-up part is that it took you using my sister to realize that."

"Sting…" Yukino whispered harshly to him.

"I didn't use her!" Natsu yelled in reply.

"So posing as her fiancé to make your parents proud of you isn't using her?!" Natsu pursed his lips together and clenched his jaw. "But that wasn't enough for you… then you had to go and play with her heart."

"Fine!" Natsu yelled, causing Sting to pause. "I used her just to feel better about myself, is that what you want to hear?!" Sting's shoulders relaxed a bit, but he and his wife maintain their shocked faces. "But that was too boring, and I needed to have a little fun, so I slept with her!"

Sting's shoulders began to rise as his anger grew. His head began to tip down so his eyes could not be seen. "Oh, and she was good."

"Stop it," Sting whispered as he clenched his fists tightly.

"She melted into the palms of my hands…"

"Stop it!" Sting yelled louder, barely able to maintain his composure.

"So easy… I barely had to work for it."

"Shut your mouth!" Sting yelled as he jumped on top of Natsu and began pummeling Natsu in his face repeatedly. Sting's eyes were wide with rage, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He barraged Natsu with punches, solely motivated by the anger he had for this man.

After a few moments of fighting, Sting's mind cleared just a moment for him to realize Natsu wasn't fighting back. He glanced down at Natsu's body to see he wasn't sitting on Natsu's arms, in fact they were extended out to his sides. Sting stopped his attacks to catch his breath; still, Natsu did not move.

"Fight me!" Sting yelled. Natsu merely glared at the blonde above him through his swollen eyes. "Fight back!" Sting yelled again, this time his voice more strained.

"Sting," Yukino whispered calmly as she walked up behind her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder. Sting glanced over his shoulder at her to search her eyes for an answer for Natsu's actions. Yukino simply shook her head gently from side to side.

"Do you feel any better Natsu?" she asked, but the pinkette simply looked at her. "Have you punished yourself enough?" His eyes twitched but maintained contact with hers.

The two held eye contact until Natsu cracked, "I've been such a screw up my whole life. Nothing I ever did seemed like the right decision; I always questioned every little thing I ever did and considered how others would think about it. But Lucy… she just felt so right, she always has."

"And you're just gonna let her go?" Natsu opened his eyes in surprise and turned his head forward once more to look at the blonde, who was still sitting on top of him. Sting stared at Natsu intently, "My sister is the most precious thing in my life; she has always placed others' happiness above her own. The only times I have seen my sister truly happy… is when she is with you." Natsu's eyes continue to widen and his body began to shake. "If you really love my sister, like I know you do… you'd go after her, you'd fight for her."

Natsu laid on the ground stunned by the kind words of the man who was moments ago attacking him. "I think what my husband is trying to say..." Yukino began as she leaned over her husband's shoulder to speak to Natsu, " ...is get your ass up and go get her!" Yukino yelled sternly as she pointed over her shoulder towards the parking lot. Natsu looked between Yukino and Sting; they were once angry but now appeared to be smiling warmly at him. He glanced down at his chest to look deep within himself. _What do you want?_ He asked himself. He looked back up at the people above him, and his eyes softened, and his body relaxed. "I want Lucy," he whispered just loud enough for the two to hear him. The two reacted by smiling even more at him. "I want Lucy," he said once more, this time louder and with more confidence.

"Well?" Sting asked as he placed his hands on his hips. Natsu looked from the smug blonde to the girl standing just behind him. Natsu raised his eyebrows and Yukino responded with a shrug of approval. Natsu glared back at Sting and gave him a smug grin just before landing a punch to the blonde's jaw.

Sting flew off the pinkette and landed on his butt. "What the hell man?!" Sting yelled as he simultaneously rubbed his jaw and his behind in pain.

"I can't very well chase after the girl of my dreams if her fat ass brother is sitting on top of me, now can I?" Natsu joked as he stood and dusted the dirt off himself.

"Why you…" Sting began but was interrupted by a phone ringing. Yukino retrieved a cell phone from her back pocket and looked at the screen before sliding the bar to unlock the phone. "Hey, Mrs. Spetzo. [pause] He is with me." She glanced at Sting. "He had his hands full." She glanced back at Natsu. Yukino was silent as if listening to the conversation on the other end of the phone.

Yukino's eyes suddenly shot open and her mouth parted, but no sounds came out. Yukino remained silent for another moment before replying, "We'll be right there." Natsu and Sting both wore looks of concern as Yukino hung up the phone, but noticed she maintained a firm grip on the phone in her hand.

She slowly met the gazes of the men before her. "Jude's in the hospital," she stated quietly.

Sting stood up in a fury, "Wh-what?! What happened?!"

Yukino turned towards her husband, "She said he suddenly collapsed right after we left so they rushed him there."

"We have to get there now!" Sting yelled as the three took off running towards the parking lot.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys... super long time to update, but so much has happened... With everything going on, I honestly couldn't bring myself to write or focus on my story, I couldn't do much anyway. **

**I gotten some moments of calm and I remembered I haven't finished the story nor updated in a while. I had to break down the final chapter because it was close to 7,000 words, but that only makes the story a bit longer!**

**Please enjoy. Stay safe. Remember to tell the people around you that you love them... **

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"I called Lucy," Wendy stated as she walked back into the waiting room towards the rest of her family.

"Yeah, and I called Sting," Igneel added.

"What did you tell them?" Mrs. Spetzo asked.

Wendy shrugged and looked at Igneel who answered, "I said something happened, and we had to rush Jude to the hospital."

Grandine placed her head in her hand, "That girl doesn't need any more stress. I mean her mother passes, then Jude gets diagnosed, then this thing with Lisanna…" Igneel rubbed his wife's back reassuringly.

"This whole week has been a mess," Igneel stated.

"I'm just worried about the two of them. I was so excited to see Natsu and Lucy finally get together." Grandine added, to which the others nodded in agreement.

"Do you think there is still hope?" Wendy asked her mother.

"We'll see," Grandine responded.

A few moments later, Lucy and Levy came running into the waiting room. Lucy locked eyes with Mrs. Spetzo and ran to her. "Is he okay? What's going on?!"

Mrs. Spetzo grabbed onto the sides of Lucy's arms to calm her, "They took him back and are doing tests now."

"I can't lose him now." She cried. Mrs. Spetzo grabbed Lucy's head and brought it to her chest to soothe her. "This is all my fault." Lucy muttered.

"It's not your fault," Grandine added.

"If I didn't lie to him, to you all, and if I didn't cause such a scene…"

"Lucy, that's not your fault. We all played a part in that, so don't beat yourself up about it." Igneel encouraged.

"I'm so sorry for the mess we've made. We shouldn't have lied to any of you."

Before anyone could respond, a voice spoke up. "Heartfilia family?" A doctor spoke as he held a clipboard in his hand. Lucy raised her hand and took a step towards the doctor. "I'm his daughter, is my father okay?"

The doctor smiled and chuckled a bit, "He's fine; he is just suffering from Reflux Esophagitis." The group wore blank faces. "Heart burn. We had him take some antacids and drink some water. He should be out shortly." The group sighed in relief before Lucy gave a quiet 'thank you' to the doctor.

"It must have been the food he ate earlier," Igneel surmised.

"He knows he isn't supposed to be eating that. I tried to warn him," Mrs. Spetzo argued.

"I'm just glad that's all it was," Lucy muttered before rubbing her face with her hands. "I'm so sorry everyone for putting you through all this."

Igneel placed his hand on Lucy's shoulder, "Lucy, what you did is commendable, although unorthodox."

"I agree," Mrs. Spetzo began, "It was very sweet."

"I just wish you would have told us." Grandine added, "I feel so bad for making such a big deal over it."

"As much as it was stressful, it wouldn't have seemed real otherwise." Lucy reasoned.

"So, what's gonna happen to you and Natsu?" Wendy asked; the others silent because they wanted to ask the same thing, but no one had the guts to bring it up.

Lucy sighed in aggravation; she loved this girl like her own sister, but she couldn't bear to break her heart. She looked towards Levy for help, but all she received was an optimistic shrug. Lucy looked back at the small girl, "I don't know, Wendy."

"Do you love him?" Wendy asked eagerly.

Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but close it to give her a moment to contemplate her response. _That's a good question,_ she thought. She mulled it over in her mind before answering painfully, "I think so… but after today..."

"Ms. Heartfilia?" Lucy looked over her shoulder to see the doctor standing in the waiting room once more.

"Yes?" Lucy asked as she stood.

"Your father is requesting to see you." Lucy swallowed nervously as she nodded and followed the doctor back to the medical rooms.

…

The doctor motioned towards the room where her father was getting treated before walking away to see another patient. Lucy stared at her father's name listed under the room number placard. Nerves grew within her and she could barely keep it together. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out before opening her eyes with fake confidence.

Lucy knocked lightly as she peeked her head into the room. Jude peeked up from the magazine he was viewing, "Come in, Lucy." The girl awkwardly walked into the room to stand at the foot of his bed. "Where is Sting?"

"He is on the way; Igneel called him." Jude nodded in approval. The two remained silent; only the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the urgent care could be heard around them.

"Listen, Lucy…" Jude began but Lucy was quick to stop him.

"Dad, I'm so sorry," she cried as she swiftly sat on the stool beside his bed and took his hand within her own. "I shouldn't have lied to you; I shouldn't have pretended to be engaged to Natsu just to make you happy."

Jude stopped her by placing his other hand on top of her own. "Lucy… I've had some time to think about everything that happened this week. Seeing you with Natsu made me happy, but only because you were happy." Lucy's shoulders relaxed. "I've always put so much pressure on you and your brother, and I'm sorry I'm just now realizing it. I've put so much on you to have a stable and structured life that I forgot to cherish the essence of life… all the ups and downs, especially figuring things out.

All I want for you is to be happy. I've missed the smile that lights up the room and the laugh that aches your soul. I haven't seen you as happy as you were this week in a long time; that's what made me happy." Lucy slumped her shoulders, to which Jude furrows his brow. "You were happy, weren't you?"

"I thought I was…" She looked at her father, who only stared at her with an expression of 'keep going.' "I was so nervous to come out here but having Natsu around made me feel more at ease; he made Grandine's antics almost bearable." Jude chuckled causing Lucy to smile.

"She can go overboard sometimes," Jude reasoned.

"She's not the only one," Lucy muttered. "I think Natsu and I went a little too far with the charade."

"Because you fell for one another?" Jude answered simply.

Lucy looked worried, "Is that bad?"

"My dear, that's wonderful." Jude answered as he placed his hand on her cheek and wiped the tears from her eye.

"It doesn't feel wonderful."

"Love doesn't always; sometimes it's a fight to feel anything. But love is about fighting… fighting to survive, fighting to stay together. If you aren't fighting in your relationship, there is no passion there.

You and Natsu have plenty of passion, believe me. He is a hothead and extremely competitive, and you're driven, just like your mother. Life isn't easy, it's absurd… love is absurd. Love is about choosing to be with the person who fights with you when it's difficult and laughs at the absurdity of it all."

"This week has been pretty absurd," she giggled.

Jude nodded, "So what are you going to do?" Lucy looked down to ponder… _another good question_.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoy the newest chapter! Getting closer to the end!**

* * *

Sting and Yukino rushed into the hospital and ran straight to the counter. "Where is Jude Heartfilia?!" Sting yelled.

"He is in the back being seen by the doctor." The nurse began to continue, but Sting stopped listening after that point. He and Yukino began walking towards the doors which led to the back (the doors which also said 'Do Not Enter'). "Sir, you can't go in there!" the nurse yelled as she ran around the counter towards the blonde.

"He's my father, I can do what I want!" Sting yelled just before he pushed open the door with his hand.

"Sting!" A voice yelled, causing Yukino and Sting to turn to face it. Mrs. Spetzo walked over to Sting, grabbed onto the sleeve of his extended arm and pulled him back towards the rest of the crowd waiting. "Stop causing a scene and stay over here with us." She scolded as she pulled him away from the staff.

"How is he?! Is it serious?!" Sting questioned with Yukino close behind him.

"He is fine, Sting," Grandine answered.

"It was just a case of heartburn," Igneel added; Yukino and Sting's shoulders relaxed.

"That's so good to hear," Yukino commented with a sense of relief.

"When will he be out?" Sting asked.

"He should be out any minute now," Mrs. Spetzo answered.

"Wait, where is Natsu?" Igneel asked.

Sting and Yukino paused to look at one another before he answered, "He is out in the car with the kids." The group paused before someone spoke up. "Why won't he come inside?"

Yukino sighed, "He didn't want to make things worse." The group collectively sighed in aggravation. Grandine placed her hand on Igneel's arm; he looked at his wife who returned his gaze with a nudge towards the exit. Igneel chuckled to himself as he stood and headed out the door.

…

Natsu gazed at the ceiling as he rested his head against the headrest on his seat. He had been dreading this week to begin with… the small talk between friends and the friends of his parents in the classic 'where are you and who are you with' game. He pictured his week being mostly him hiding in his room alone or drinking off in a corner when his mother made him socialize. He didn't expect this shenanigan with Lucy… he didn't expect to fall in love with her either.

He only wanted to help his childhood best friend and her father, granted it helped him out too, but looking back on it now he didn't care. All he cared about was Lucy; he caused her more trouble than when they first started. He caused everybody more trouble.

Because of him her father was sent to the hospital; _great job, Natsu, the whole point was to make him happy before he died not speed up the process._ Natsu closed his eyes, took a deep breath in before glancing down at the ring in his hand. _This definitely puts a damper in our friendship; hell, sleeping with her did that. She probably never wants to see me again. _

Natsu heard stirring next to him. He glanced over at the boy asleep in the car seat beside him. Yukino had driven like a bat out of hell to get them to the hospital as soon as possible; he was barely able to hang on as he was tossed about in the back seat of the car, but he had no clue how it lulled Lector to sleep.

He chuckled at the boy before motion outside the car caught his attention. Natsu glanced through the window at the approaching figure; he sighed in frustration upon seeing his father. "Oh no…" he whined as he slumped in his chair. _Not this… anything but this._

"Natsu," Igneel stated softly as he stood outside the car. "I know you're in there… Sting told me." Natsu just sat still, hoping his father couldn't see him through the tinted glass. "Natsu, I won't force you to come out and talk to me… but if you want to stay in there, you have no choice but to listen." Natsu silently groaned and rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, son." Natsu's eyes widened. "I feel I must have failed you as a father if you believed you would be a disappointment to me. I'm sorry you felt you had to pretend to be anything other than yourself to feel like we were proud of you.

I want to see you succeed in life, but not at the cost of your own happiness; sure, you are going through a rough patch right now but that doesn't change the fact that we are proud of you. You will get back on your feet, it's in your blood."

"I don't know if I can come back from this…" Natsu muttered.

Igneel perked his ears upon hearing his son speak, "Why is that?"

Natsu continued to fiddle with the ring in his hands. "For starters, I sent Jude to the hospital."

"He's fine, Natsu." Natsu's eyes widened. He reached for the door handle and quickly slid the door open, startling Igneel. "He's really gonna be okay?!"

"Shh! You're gonna wake up the kids," Igneel whisper yelled at his son as he grabbed the handle and quietly shut the door. "You didn't put him in the hospital; Jude just ate some spicy food that didn't sit well with him."

Natsu chuckled in relief, "Well I'm glad he's okay."

"What about you? What happened to your face?"

Natsu sighed, "Sting." Igneel nodded in understanding. He paused before asking, "What about everything else?"

Natsu looked in dismay at his father. He sighed, "I ruined everything." Natsu leaned back against the minivan. "I didn't mean for all of this to happen; I just wanted Lucy to be happy. Not only have I messed that up, but… she probably never wants to see me again."

"How do you know what she wants if you haven't asked her?"

Natsu rolled his eyes, "What's with all the questions?!"

Igneel shrugged, "I find when we ask ourselves questions, we often also hold the answers." Natsu was silent and stared at the ground; he kept his hands inside the front pockets of his jeans with his fists clenched. His chest grew tight and he pressed his teeth together as his body slowly urged him to run.

_No more deliberation, now or never. _

Natsu turned to his father, "Will you stay with the kids?" Igneel smiled widely and nodded his head. Natsu smiled back and ran towards the front doors of the hospital.


End file.
